ectorsCandidate Slate - The American Academy of Audiology ... · Athens, GA Steven J. Staller...

2008 Academy Board of Dire

ctors

Candidate Slate

2

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008

2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y • A M E R I C A N A C A D E M Y O F A U D I O L O G Y

VOLUME 20 • NUMBER 1

Audiology Today (ISSN 1535-2609) is published bi-monthly by theAmerican Academy of Audiology, 11730 Plaza America Drive, Suite 300,Reston, VA 20190; Phone: 703-790-8466. Periodicals postage paid atHerndon, VA and additional mailing offices.

The annual subscription price is $102.00 for libraries and institutions and$54.00 for individual non-members. Add $21 for each subscription outsidethe United States. Single copies are available from the Academy NationalOffice at $16 per copy for US non-members, $21 for single copy ordersfrom outside the US, and $21 for libraries and institutions. For subscriptioninquiries, telephone 703-790-8466 or 800-AAA-2336. Claims for undeliveredcopies must be made within four (4) months of publication.

To advertise in Audiology Today, contact Christy Hanson, MarketingManager, at 703-226-1062 or [email protected].

For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from Audiology Today,please access www.copyright.com or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.(CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA01923; Phone: 978-750-8400. CCC is anot-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users.

Publication of an advertisement in Audiology Today does not constitute aguarantee or endorsement of the quality or value of the product or servicedescribed therein or of any of the representations or claims made by theadvertiser with respect to such product or service. ©2008 by the AmericanAcademy of Audiology. All rights reserved.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

POSTMASTER: Please send postal address and e-mailchanges to: Audiology Today, c/o Erin Quinn,Membership Manager, American Academy of Audiology,11730 Plaza America Drive, Suite 300, Reston, VA20190 or by e-mail to [email protected].

President’s Message 7Executive Update 10Letter to the Editor 13Meet the Board—Direct Access 15

Washington Watch 28Membership Benefits 52News & Announcements 54Classified Ads 58

APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO STARKEY LABORATORIES FOR THEIR

SPONSORSHIP OF COMPLIMENTARYSUBSCRIPTIONS TO AUDIOLOGY TODAY

FOR FULL-TIME AUDIOLOGY GRADUATE STUDENTS.O

N TH

E C

OVE

R

Join the 20th anniversary celebration! Beginningwith this Jan-Feb cover, a 20th anniversary logo

will be hidden on each AudiologyToday cover during 2008. The first 20Academy members to find and e-

mail the correct location of the logo willreceive a $20 gift certificate to the AcademyStore. E-mail your answer [email protected] with the subjectline, "AT 20th Anniversary Logo." Happyhunting... and Happy Anniversary!

Interview With A LegendJozef Zwislocki — Jerry Northern 16

American Academy of AudiologyBoard of Directors 2008 Nominees 19

Moment of ScienceCan Ripples Predict Speech Understanding in Listeners with Cochlear Implants? 23—Christopher G. Clinard and Kelly L. Tremblay

AAA FoundationSwanepoel to Present Marion Downs Pediatric Lecture for AN! 2008 24Foundation Update 25

American Board of AudiologyRemarkable Marketing — Bruce Edwards 27

Coding CornerRAC ‘em Up! Don’t Be Behind the “8-Ball” — Debra Abel and Kadyn Williams 29

Clinical ReportsLive Voice Speech Recognition Audiometry — Stop the Madness! 32— Ross J. Roeser and Jackie L. ClarkHearing Aid Care Protocol for Audiology Assistants 34— Patricia Saccone and James R. Steiger

AudiologyNOW!Itinerary Planner 38The Employment Service Center Theater — Melanie Herzfeld 41My City, My Experience — Tracy Swanson 42Thank You To Our Sponsors 44

ViewpointsService and Product Delivery Systems: Time To Take A Stand! — Dennis Van Vliet 45The Boomer Audiologist: With Age Comes Wisdom — David B. Hawkins 47

NOTICEClinical Practice Guidelines Open for Review 48

BEST Practice Management2008 – Make It the BEST Year Of Our Lives — Gyl Kasewurm 50

MAIN OFFICEAmerican Academy of Audiology

11730 Plaza America Drive, Suite 300Reston, VA 20190

PHONE: 800-AAA-2336 • 703-790-8466FAX: 703-790-8631

CAPITOL HILL OFFICE312 Massachussetts Avenue NE

Washington, DC 20002PHONE:202-544-9334

Cheryl Kreider Carey, CAE • Executive Directorext. 1050 • [email protected]

Edward A. M. Sullivan • Assistant Executive Directorext. 1034 • [email protected]

Debra Abel, AuD • Director of Reimbursement330.495.0293 • [email protected]

Matthew Arnett • Membership Assistantext. 1047 • [email protected]

Sandy Bishop, CPA • Director of Finance and Administrationext. 1046 • [email protected]

Phil Bongiorno • Senior Director of Government Relationsext. 1032 • [email protected]

Kathleen Devlin Culver, MPA • AAA Foundation Director of Development

ext. 1049 • [email protected] Gallow • Education Manager

ext. 1068 • [email protected] Hanson • Marketing Managerext. 1062 • [email protected]

Bill Kana • Information Systems Managerext. 1053 • [email protected]

Shannon Kelley, CMP • Convention Managerext. 1037 • [email protected]

Amy Miedema • Director of Communicationsext. 1033 • [email protected]

Meggan Olek • Director of Education and Standardsext. 1036 • [email protected] Owens • Senior Accountantext. 1045 • [email protected]

Christine Parker • Executive Assistant/Office Managerext. 1055 • [email protected] Quinn • Membership Managerext. 1051 • [email protected]

Tairsha Robinson • Accounting Coordinatorext. 1061 • [email protected]

Vanessa Scherstrom • Member Benefits Managerext. 1044 • [email protected]

Kate Thomas • Government Relations Managerext. 1048 • [email protected]

Sabina A. Timlin • Director of Expositionext. 1041 • [email protected]

Nathaly Urena • Office Clerkext. 1057 • [email protected] Weirtheim • Receptionist

ext. 1000 • [email protected] Wilson • Senior Publications Manager

ext. 1031 • [email protected] Yonkers, CMP • Director of Convention

ext. 1038 • [email protected]

4

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


Statement of Policy: The American Academy of Audiology publishes Audiology Today as a means of communicating information among its members about all aspects of audiology andrelated topics.

Audiology Today accepts contributed manuscripts dealing with the wide variety of topics of interest to audiologists, including clinical activities and hearing research, current events, newsitems, professional issues, individual-institution-organization announcements, entries for the calendar of events and materials from other areas within the scope of practice of audiology.

All copy received by Audiology Today must be sent on a CD (clearly identified by author name and title) or by email to [email protected]. Instruction for preparing files can be found onthe Academy Web site at www.audiology.org/publications/at/contributors/htm. Submitted material will not necessarily be returned. Specific questions regarding Audiology Today shouldbe addressed to Editor, Audiology Today, 11730 Plaza America Drive, Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190 or by e-mail to [email protected].

EDITORIAL BOARDEditor

Jerry L. NorthernEditorial Office c/o American Academy of Audiology

11730 Plaza America Drive, Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190800-AAA-2336, ext 1058

[email protected]

A.U. BankaitisOaktree Products, IncChesterfield, MO

Lucille B. BeckVA Medical CenterWashington, DC

Deborah HayesThe Children’s HospitalDenver, CO

Jane MadellBeth Israel Medical CenterNew York, NY

Marsha McCandlessUniversity of UtahSalt Lake City, UT

Patricia McCarthyRush-Presb-St. Luke’s Med CtrChicago, IL

H. Gustav MuellerVanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN

Georgine RayAffiliated Audiology ConsultantsScottsdale, AZ

Jane B. SeatonSeaton ConsultantsAthens, GA

Steven J. StallerAdvanced Bionics CorporationSylmar, CA

Joyanna WilsonAcademy National OfficeReston, VA

Gyl KasewurmProfessional Hearing ServicesSt. Joseph, MI

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Term Ending 2009Bopanna B. BallachandaPremier Hearing Centers1400 St. Francis Dr, Suite BSanta Fe, NM [email protected]

Kris EnglishUniversity of AkronPolsky Building 181CAkron, OH [email protected]

Thomas LittmanHearing, Speech &

Deafness Center1625 19th AvenueSeattle, WA [email protected]

Term Ending 2010Karen A. JacobsAVA Hearing Center5344 Plainfield NE, Suite 3Grand Rapids, MI [email protected]

Gary JacobsonVanderbilt Univ Medical CenterAudiology, Suite 93021215 21st Avenue, SouthNashville, TN [email protected]

Patricia KricosDepartment of Communication

Sciences and Disorders University of FloridaPO Box 117420Gainesville, FL [email protected]

BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident

Alison GrimesUCLA Medical Center

200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 540Los Angeles, California 90095

[email protected]

EDITORIAL STAFF

AUDIOLOGY TODAY welcomes feature articles, essays of professional opinion, special reports and letters to the editor. Submissions may be subject toeditorial review and alteration for clarity and brevity. Closing date for all copy is the 1st day of the month preceding issue date.

ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP

DIRECTORY ONLINE AT

www.audiology.org

The American Academy of Audiologypromotes quality hearing and balance care by advancing the profession of audiologythrough leadership, advocacy, education,public awareness and support of research.

President-ElectPatrick Feeney

University of WashingtonV.M. Bloedel Hearing Research Center

CHDD Room 176, Box 357923Seattle, WA 98195

[email protected]

Past PresidentPaul Pessis

North Shore Audio-Vestibular Lab1160 Park Avenue West, 4S

Highland Park, IL [email protected]

INFORMATION AND STATEMENTS PUBLISHED IN AUDIOLOGY TODAY ARE NOT OFFICIAL POLICY OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY UNLESS SO INDICATED.

INFORMATION AND STATEMENTS PUBLISHED IN AUDIOLOGY TODAY ARE NOT OFFICIAL POLICY OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY UNLESS SO INDICATED.

AudiologyTodayCARING FOR AMERICA’S HEARING • Volume 20, Number 1 • January/February 2008

Term Ending 2008Carmen C. Brewer9000 Rockville PikeBethesda, MD [email protected]

Erin MillerAudiology and Speech CenterUniversity of Akron225 S. Main St, Room 181Akron, OH [email protected]

Therese C. WaldenArmy Audiology & Speech CenterWalter Reed Army Medical CtrWashington, DC [email protected]

J

7

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


Alison Grimes, AuD,President,

American Academyof Audiology

Alison Grimes is Director of the Audiology Clinic at the UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

anuary 1988. Twenty years ago, our Academy wasborn, arising from a session at ASHA in 1987, where

our founding fathers and mothers declared that it was time,past time, for an audiology-only organization. Many of ushad talked informally and with passion for years leading upto this moment about the need todeclare independence and form anorganization of, by and for audiol-ogists; the critical time and criticalmass had been reached, and theAcademy was formally initiated inHouston on January 30, 1988. Wehave come a long way—from oursmall first headquarters office inthe Neuroscience Center at BaylorMedical Center, the birth of theTrivia Bowl at a social gathering ofsome early founders at JerryNorthern’s Colorado home, andthe first official executive commit-tee meeting held during the 1989ASHA convention in Boston—to2008, with two headquartersoffices, one in Reston, Virginia, andone in downtown Washington, DC!

Twenty years ago, the practice of audiology had a differentlook. Computers were not in routine use and, whenemployed at all, stored data slowly on large “floppy” disks.Otoacoustic emissions and probe-microphone measureswere not routine clinical practices. Hearing aids were adjust-ed with screwdrivers in trimpots, 675-battery BTEs were

standard, and ITE hearing aids were big and ugly.Tympanograms were plotted on X-Y plotters using pens thatinvariably dried out when coworkers failed to cap them.Acoustic reflexes were generated by pairing a portableaudiometer next to an impedance bridge. Deaf infants were

fitted with body hearing aids. We didSSI-ICM and SSI-CCM on all patients;SISI and ABLB tests were still fairlyroutine, although beginning to besupplanted by STAT, SPAR and PIPBRollover. A “pediatric” patient meantone who was one year old, not oneweek or one day!

Our Academy started because werealized that our profession was a sep-arate, unique, and distinguished pro-fession, not a small piece of the largerprofession of speech-language pathol-ogy. We recognized needs for moreadvanced education and training, andmore cross-training with disciplinesother than speech-language patholo-gy, such as psychology, neurology and

acoustics. We sought separate licensure, a separate educa-tional path, and separate recognition for reimbursement.We declared our independence, and have continued to thisday to work for that identity.

Now, those of us who participated in the birth of ourAcademy are increasingly reaching retirement age, and thenext generation of audiologists (some of whom were in

HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARYAmerican Academy of Audiology!

“ The futuredepends onwhat we do

in the present ” —M. Gandhi

pr

esid

en

t’s

me

ssa

ge

8

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


grade school in 1988!) are moving into positions of educa-tion, professional standards-setting and leadership withinthe Academy. We are planning a “Young Leaders” initia-tive to identify rising audiologists and bring them to thenational office for training and formal mentorship, inrecognition of the need to have the next wave of leadersat the ready to sustain our Academy in years to come.

We recognize and extend enormous appreciation to ourcolleagues who were among the founders and comprisedthe first executive committee to establish and conduct thebusiness of our Academy: Jim Jerger (for whom our con-ference room in the new Academy Capitol Hill office isbeing named), who has served continuously as our onlyeditor of our scholarly journal, Journal of the AmericanAcademy of Audiology; Jerry Northern, who has editedAudiology Today for 17 years; Brad Stach (currently chairof the American Academy of Audiology Foundation), GusMueller, Laura Wilbur, Fred Bess and Rick Talbott.

Learning from the past allows us to chart our future.Recognizing the importance of early research and writingsas building blocks of our understanding of hearing andbalance and as the foundations for the clinical practiceswe use today, Richard Wilson contacted me with an excit-ing proposal to make the “classic” textbooks that are now

out of print, such as Modern Developments in Audiometry(J. Jerger, Editor), available on our Web site as scanneddocuments in a searchable format. What a terrific sugges-tion to preserve these foundational texts of our professionso that all audiologists and audiology students can fullyappreciate and understand basic mechanisms of hearing,sound, physiology and speech perception, and the histori-cal research that made our understanding possible!

As we look forward to this year of celebrating our 20thanniversary, it is exciting to anticipate where we are goingin the next 20. I foresee enormous strides in autonomyand professionalism: student recruitment, education,ethics, clinical practice that continues to improve out-comes for our patients, and research that underlies theservices and products that we provide.

What else does the future hold? At the suggestion ofboard members Kris English and Pat Feeney, we havelaunched a task force on telepractice, headed up by MarkKrumm. As I talk with student members of the Academy, Iam struck by how much knowledge and professional prac-tice savvy they have after three years in their doctoral pro-grams. I am also impressed with the maturity and intelli-gence of student leaders in our field, who will someday beleaders of our Academy.

9

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


I believe the future holds routine employment of audiolo-gist assistants by doctors of audiology: there are manywho need our services, and that number will dramaticallyincrease with the aging of our population and the increas-ing need for pediatric services on the other end of theage spectrum. As audiology and basic science researchenables us to know more about the electrophysiologicaspects of hearing and the microscopic function of haircells and neural transmission, we will see rapid growth inimplantable hearing devices, hair-cell regeneration, andapplications of stem-cell research in disorders that causehearing and balance impairments, and a vastly improvedunderstanding of the processes that underlie speech per-ception and comprehension. New initiatives to engage,educate and warn consumers about the dangers of noiseexposure on hearing will begin to pay off. Thanks toAcademy initiatives like “Turn it to the Left” and “HearingGreat in 2008” (underwritten by Energizer), parents andthe general public will have increased understanding thatnoise causes permanent hearing loss. And as we considerlaunching our own audiology week (or month!), publicawareness of audiology, and hearing and balance disorderprevention, diagnosis and treatment will grow. In 20 years,personal hearing protection will be as common as bicyclehelmets or seat belts, and dramatic steps will have beentaken to reduce noise levels in classrooms, factories andrecreational settings.

And finally, I see that in the next 20 years, we will enjoy anAcademy that represents 100% of audiologists, that pro-vides specialty certification in key practice areas and thatcontinues to grow in its ability to advocate for legislativeand regulatory issues in a wide range of areas. We will notonly be the repository of the history of our profession butthe source for contemporary research, practice and publiceducation. We will accredit our own doctoral programs,conduct our own basic and applied research, and besought as the voice representing hearing and balanceissues by other professionals, legislators and policymakers, educators and consumers.

“The future depends on what we do in the present”(Gandhi). Are we ready to take on the next 20 years withforward momentum? I think so, and along with all of you, Ilook forward to participating in this endeavor.

It’s been a great 20 years, and I am proud, and humbled,to be the Academy’s President on its anniversary. Thankyou to all of the past presidents, board members, volun-teers and staff who have built this incredible organization,and thanks most of all to you, the members, for makingthe Academy what it is today. See you in 2028!

10

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


CHERYL KREIDER CAREY, CAE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Executive UPDATE

While reading historical pieces about the Academy’s inception, I notedthree key components: a new idea, a forward-thinking innovator and agroup of dedicated visionaries. The convergence of these threeelements resulted in the American Academy of Audiology.

An idea: a professional organization for audiologistsAn innovator: Dr. James JergerA group of visionaries: 31 audiologists

In December 1987, Dr. Jerger invited 31 audiologists by mail to a two-day meeting in Houston to consider a professional organization foraudiologists. Several excerpts from his letter: …to discuss the formation of a national society of audiology …anorganization uniquely sensitive to the professional issues, and theprofessional concerns affecting all audiologists…this initial meeting iscurrently conceived as open-ended…since no funds are available tosupport this endeavor, we will all have to come at our own expense.

Have you ever wondered what thoughts were going through his mindas he wrote the letter? In Dr. Jerger’s words:When I came home from the ASHA convention in New Orleans in 1987,I could still hear the amazingly supportive response to my suggestion

that we needed our own organization. But I was still a bit wary. In thosedays many people felt that it was wrong to even think aboutfragmenting the ASHA. Disloyalty was a commonly used word. But Ihad worked within the ASHA for many years and had an intimate viewof the extent to which my suggestions for improving the lot ofaudiologists fell on deaf ears. My original view was that ASHA shouldserve as an umbrella organization very much in the way that the AMAserves as an umbrella organization for the various medical specialtyorganizations. To me that seemed like the most positive way of dealingwith the inevitable sub-specialization that all professions, includingcommunication sciences and disorders, must necessarily undergo asthe knowledge base widens. But the ASHA has never quite grasped thatsingular truth. Some have suggested that the ASHA will always be moreconcerned with losing possible membership revenue than with doingwhat is best for professionals and the society they serve. But I wasnaturally uncomfortable about being divisive. Yet I knew, from the NewOrleans response, that this was the time and we should not let it pass;someone had to step forward and do it. I talked it over with Brad[Stach], and we agreed that I should get the ball rolling.

FOUNDERS DAY: JANUARY 30

THEN NOW

WORLD

President George H. W. Bush George W. Bush

Dow Jones 1,973 13,289

Minimum Wage $3.35 $5.85

Super Bowl Champs Washington Redskins TBD

Academy Award for Best Picture Rain Man TBD

Grammy Song of the Year Bobby McFerrin, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" TBD

PROFESSION OF AUDIOLOGY

A professional organization a dream a realitysolely for audiologists

Name of organization American College of Audiology American Academy of Audiology Audiology Study Group 32 audiologists (meeting in Houston) (paid own travel, food & hotel)

American Academy of Audiology 10,500 and growing

President James Jerger, PhD Alison Grimes, AuDBudget $640 (each audiologist contributed $20) $7 million

Staff 0 30

Mission The aim of the Academy shall be to promote the public good by advancing the highest professional standards for the diagnosis, habilitation, rehabilitation, and research in hearing and its disorders.

Promote quality hearing and balance care by advancing the profession of audiology through leadership, advocacy, education, public awareness, and support of research.

11

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


ideas, innovators and visionaries

Additionally, have you ever wondered what those 31 audiologiststhought and felt upon receiving such an invitation? Here are severalresponses:

What an exciting possibility for the future of our profession!!! Can wepull this off? — David Citron

Actually, in December 1987, I was Director of Audiology at theUniversity of Texas-Houston (directly across the street from Jim Jergerand the Baylor College of Medicine). I could literally look into Jim’s 2ndfloor office in the Neurosensory Center from my 6th floor office. Whenthe letter went out, I was well aware of the plans to bring a group ofaudiologists to Houston for a meeting that was likely to revolutionize theprofession of audiology. I immediately reserved an 11-person van fromthe University car pool, so I could provide airport shuttle service for theaudiologists flying in from around the country for the big event. My wifeand I hosted the group at our house one night, where the group ateplenty of Texas chili washed down with a few cold beers. All of us were(and had been for years) frustrated by the lack of an organization thatreally cared about audiology. We were ready to give our all to changingour destiny as a profession. —Jay Hall

I am honored to be invited. There was no question that I would go. Andthat was a decision that shaped quite a few years to follow for theFounders as we shepherded this new organization and watched withpride as it grew and thrived.—Linda Hood

I was excited at the prospect of the possibility of creating anorganization for audiologists and the possibilities that held. Perhaps mymemory is shaped by events that followed, but I was impressed at thetimeliness of Dr. Jerger’s proposal to meet and form an organization. Itseemed to me at the time that audiology needed to establish itself as anindependent profession with an organization that was not constrainedby well intended, but sometimes poorly directed members of our sisterprofession. I spent my career in a department of Otolaryngology, so theproposal seemed to me as logical as when the physicians who weremembers of the “Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat” profession separatedinto two organizations representing Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology.My additional response was that I was honored to be included amongthe prestigious individuals who were included in the invitation. It was amomentous time, and a significant event in the development of ourprofession. And it was clear from the first moment that life in audiologywould never be the same. I am proud to have been part of it all.—Robert Keith

Finally, our many informal discussions about the status of audiologyover the past few years at various gatherings are coming to fruition. Myhope was that our intrepid group would brainstorm and come up withplans and guidelines that would ultimately result in improving audiologyeducation and raising the professional and economic status of theprofession. I certainly did not expect us to establish then and there a

new organization, exclusively for audiologists. I can still remember thechampagne toast we raised (Jim was obviously well prepared for thiseventuality) immediately upon declaring the foundation of ourAcademy.—Paul Kileny

This meeting is incredibly important...I wonder why Dr. Jerger includedme? Could it be that this letter was intended to go to a different HermanG. Mueller?—Gus Mueller

Many of us had often talked previously about setting up our “own”organization for audiologists because of our common concerns aboutaudiology representation within ASHA—but I never really thought itwould happen. So when I opened the letter from Jim Jerger dated Dec1, 1987, I was immediately enthusiastic thinking that it is REALLY goingto happen—and I couldn’t wait to be involved to help set up this neworganization. At that point in time, there was no doubt in my mind thatthe group could reach any other conclusion except to move forwardwith a new professional organization for audiologists.—Jerry Northern

Actually, I never received a letter. Dr. Jerger was my boss at the time,and he told me that I would be attending the meeting. I believe we usedmy hospital cost centers to procure the meeting room and, perhaps, thechampagne. Declaring audiology’s independence seemed so much likethe right thing to do at the time. I got a sense early on from all of theenthusiasm generated by Jerger’s ASHA convention speech inNovember of ‘87 that independence was inevitable. When theoverwhelmingly supportive replies began arriving in response to Dr.Jerger’s letter, I got a very real sense that I would be witnessing historyin the making.—Brad Stach

(paraphrasing Groucho Marx) I’m not sure I would want to belong to anorganization that would have me as a co-Founder!” —Roy Sullivan

...Actually most of us were not surprised at all by the initial letter sincewe had been discussing by phone with each other since the first "spark"was ignited which actually happened at the mini-seminar titled TheFuture of Audiology held in New Orleans at the ASHA convention inNovember of 1987. When we first organized that panel discussion, we

January 30, 1988: Dr. Jerger toasts the Academy.

12

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


wondered if there would be very many audiologists who would attend anon-scientific meeting about the future of the profession—I happenedto have the honor of organizing and chairing that session and I can tellyou that all of us on the panel (Lu Beck, Jim Jerger, George Osborne,Jay Hall, and me) were very surprised and amazed at the turnout—about 500 folks packed into the room with people standing on the sidesand in the aisles. There was an electricity in the air and needless to saywe had struck a cord. There was no doubt at the end of that meetingwhen Jim called for the establishment of an association foraudiologists—things were going to happen—and they did. Jimorganized the follow up meetings in Houston by inviting the group thatwould become the original founders of the association but there was noquestion after the New Orleans meeting that audiologists were ready tounite into their own association--and so we did.—Rick Talbott

Those visionaries, known as the “Audiology Study Group,”convened on January 30 and 31, 1988. At the end of the first day—January 30, 1988—they voted unanimously to form a newaudiology professional organization!

Fast-forward in time 20 years. Representing almost 11,000 audiologists,the American Academy of Audiology’s mission remains focused solely onaudiology. While numerous differences exist (see sidebar), those threekey components present in the beginning remain today: ideas, innovatorsand visionaries.

It is in that spirit that the Academy’s leadership will commemorate themilestone of our 20th anniversary by proclaiming January 30 asFounders Day! This special day readily brings to mind one individual,our founder and first president, James Jerger. Thus, in recognition ofthe inaugural Founders Day—January 30, 2008—and in honor of ourfounder, we will name the conference room of our Capitol Hill office the“James Jerger Conference Room.” Since the purpose of the Academy’snew acquisition on Capitol Hill is to educate the public about theprofession of audiology, who is more deserving of this namingrecognition than Dr. Jerger, an exemplary educator himself!Additionally, in his role as editor of the Journal of the AmericanAcademy of Audiology, he has educated many audiologists through theyears, including future leaders of the Academy.

The Academy and the American Academy of Audiology Foundation arepleased to announce that Plural Publishing and Dr. and Mrs.Sadanand Singh will honor Dr. Jerger's legacy with a commitment tounderwrite the James Jerger Conference Room. The Academy andthe Foundation are grateful to Sadanand and Angie Singh for thisgenerous gift that commemorates our founding father and his manycontributions to the profession and science of audiology. TheAcademy and Foundation are making plans to celebrate Dr. Jerger andFounders Day at the end of January.

Let’s all raise a toast to the ideas, innovators and visionaries of 1988,2008 and beyond!

ideas, innovators and visionaries

13

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


Kirkwood Responds to GlaserI noticed that my old acquaintance Robert

Glaser had a Viewpoint article in your Nov-Dec, 2007 issue commenting on my “recent”editorial (actually June 2007) in The HearingJournal about the use of the term “audio-prosthologist.” While I am sorry that he dis-agreed with my editorial, I am impressed bythe great passion he brought to his criticismof it. Perhaps he needed six months to workup to such high dudgeon.

I’m not going to debate the audio-prosthologist issue here. I’ve alreadyexpressed my opinions on it in my journal,which is available in our online archives(www.thehearingjournal.com). And, as amatter of professional courtesy, I am notgoing to point out all the half-truths and mis-statements in something published in anotherjournal—least of all in Audiology Today, forwhich I have such great admiration.

I am, however, puzzled by a couple ofthings about Bob’s piece. If he had some-

thing to say about an editorial in HJ, whydidn’t he send it to us? Many other HJreaders submitted their views on the sameeditorial directly to me as the editor, andwe published the great majority of them.

I’m also curious as to why Bob feelsable to deduce that it is “clear thatKirkwood is bound more to the manufac-turers and their needs” than to audiologists.Figuring out other people’s motives is arisky business, especially if you don’t both-er to talk to them, and Bob displays no giftfor it here. The truth is, my first allegianceas editor of HJ is to our readers—all ofthem, including audiologists, hearinginstrument specialists, physicians, and allthe other people who devote themselves tohelping people hear better. It is because weprovide editorial content that our readersvalue that companies choose to reach themthrough advertising in HJ.

Bob did get one thing right. TheHearing Journal and I do rely heavily upon

audiologists—for their readership, for thearticles they write for us, for the counselthey provide, and, I would add, for thefriendships my colleagues and I have withso many of them. This reliance upon themreflects our great respect for audiology,audiologists, audiology organizations, and,specifically, the American Academy ofAudiology and its president. But thisrespect does not rule out anyone’s right torespectfully disagree at times.

In Bob’s closing note, he instructs yourreaders that they should “consider their read-ing material much more carefully.” I’m notcertain what he’s getting at, since he obvi-ously reads our journal—and has also madevaluable contributions to it. But, unlike Bob,I respect audiologists enough to be confidentthat they are perfectly capable of decidingfor themselves what to read without anyguidance from him or anyone else.—David H. Kirkwood, Editor, TheHearing Journal

FEEDBACK...letter to the editor

Audiology Today welcomes letters from readers. The AT Editorial Advisory Board offers the following guidelines: All letters are subject to editing for brevity and clarity. Letters should be limited to one subject or theme. Letters should not exceed 175 words. Invective and derogatory comments will not be published.

14

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


15

AU

DIO

LOG

YTO

DA

YV

OLU

ME

20,N

UM

BE

R1

Gyl KasewurmProfessional Hearing ServicesSt. Joseph, [email protected]

M E E T T H E C O M M I T T E E C H A I R SBusiness Enhancement Strategies and Techniques (BEST) Committee

16

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


INTERVIEW WITH A

Legend

AT:In reviewing your curriculumvitae, one has to be astounded by

the breadth and depth of your researchcareer. We noted publications in so manyareas of audiology, including nonorganichearing loss, bone conduction, acousticreflex, auditory adaptation, fatigue andacoustic trauma, loudness recruitment andintensity difference limens, temporalsummation, threshold measurements, etc.,etc., and etc., just to name a few!

ZWISLOCKI:Yes, I must admit, I have been interested instudying and conducting research in nearlyevery area of audition. I have a very vividimagination ... and I just like to create.That’s how my brain works. I’ve alwaysbeen interested in bringing mymultidisciplinary background to myresearch projects. I’m wearing hearing aidsnow, and when I had my hearing testedrecently and I heard the masking noisecome on in the opposite earphone, Irealized that I had written a number of earlypapers on the use of narrow-bands of noisesas the most efficient auditory masking.

AT:And yet, many of your mostnotable contributions to the field

of hearing have been your studies of theacoustics and mechanics of the hearingsystem, including impedance of the middleear, propagation of sound through thehuman skull, cochlear dynamics, hair celltheory, etc., etc., and again, etc.

ZWISLOCKI:My studies of the auditory system havegiven me a great opportunity to bringtogether a number of discipline approachesto resolve complex physiological questions.In fact, my doctoral thesis completed in1948 was entitled, “Theory of CochlearMechanics,” and certainly, my engineeringbackground contributed to my thinking.

AT:Somehow, in the midst of yourresearch and teaching activities,

you managed to develop and patent anumber of important instruments? TheZwislocki Acoustic Impedance Bridge,developed in the mid-1960s, opened thedoor to objective differential diagnosis ofvarious middle ear disorders and etiologies

as well as clinical applications of acousticreflex measurements.

ZWISLOCKI:My acoustic impedance bridge was amechanical instrument that providedprecision and stable measurements. Earlierinstruments did not exist which couldcompensate for the volume of air betweenthe tip of the probe tip and the tympanicmembrane. My instrument utilized avariable resistance that provided data whichcould be used to make inferences about theintegrity and movement of the middle earsystem. Although the mechanical ZwislockiAcoustic Bridge turned out to be toocumbersome for clinical audiologists to useeasily, it stimulated many research projectsaround the world and ultimately increasedour understanding of conductive andsensorineural hearing disorders. And,actually, it helped in the development of an

JOZEF Jerry Northern, PhD, Editor

The many contributions of the legendary Jozef Zwislocki should be familiar to allaudiologists as he is recognized as one of the world’s leading auditoryresearchers. During his 63-year career, he has had a profound impact on auditoryresearch. As a scientist, teacher, researcher and inventor, Dr. Zwislocki is one ofthe most respected scientists to be associated with audiology—although hiscontributions have come from his background in electrical engineering,psychoacoustics, biophysics and psychophysiology. A native of Poland, he taughtand conducted research at Syracuse University for more than 35 years, retiring in1992, with the title of “Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience.” He haspublished more than 200 scientific papers and holds 13 patents for varioushearing devices and instruments. Most recently, his work includes a new soundmuffling device for use in industry. He has been honored by every acoustic-relatedorganization with their highest recognition award or medal. AT was fortunate tomeet with him recently and discuss his remarkable career.

Jozef Zwislocki:Scientist, Teacher,

Researcher, Inventor

electroacoustic impedancemeasuring instrument in Denmark designedfor clinical use. I’m particularly pleased thatthese auditory impedance measurementshave become a standard part of theaudiological evaluation of all patients

AT:How about the acoustic coupleryou invented in the early 1970s?

ZWISLOCKI:I like to create things that people can use.The Zwislocki ear simulator, or acousticcoupler, was an “artificial ear” designedfor earphone or hearing aid measurements.The ear simulator is an alternative couplerthat allows for the acoustic impedance ofthe human eardrum and takes into accountthe volume, mass and resistance of ears.The coupler is used to determine theamount of current needed in an earphoneto produce a particular sound intensity atthe human eardrum.

AT:You were awarded the first BékésyMedal in 1985 from the

Acoustical Society of America. Did you everwork with Georg von Békésy?

ZWISLOCKI:I came to the United States from the

University of Basel, Switzerland, andaccepted a position as Research Fellowfrom 1951 to 1957 in the PsychoacousticsLaboratory at Harvard University—where

von Békésy also worked. Békésy was aquiet fellow and worked in his own labdown the hall from mine. Each afternoon,however, he made a trip to the sodamachine next to my office, then drank hiscola while standing in my doorway andspeaking to me for 15 to 20 minutes. Wespoke in German, Békésy’s preferredlanguage. We didn’t really talk aboutscience, but mostly chatted about politics,people, and general topics. Békésy wasworking on various models of cochlearwaves during those days. I continued mymathematical work, begun with mydoctoral dissertation in 1958, whichaccounted for the empirical phenomenadiscovered by him. It clarified somedifferences Békésy had with HallowelDavis and Glen Wever. Perhaps because ofthis work, I was asked by the AcousticalSociety of America to write an obituary forhim when he died in 1972.

AT:You retired from teaching atSyracuse in 1992 after 35 years

serving as a faculty member and mentor tocountless students and colleagues fromaround the world. What do you look backon as your most successful endeavors atthe university?

ZWISLOCKI:A couple of events stand out in my careeras a faculty member. In 1958 I establishedthe Bioacoustic Laboratory, then, amultidisciplinary Laboratory of SensoryCommunication, and finally, in 1973, theInstitute for Sensory Research. Thisresearch center became world famous forstudies of the structure and function ofsensory systems. During that time, I alsobegan one of the first, perhaps the first inthe USA, undergraduate programs inbioengineering.

AT:What have you been working onrecently?

ZWISLOCKI:I’m just doing what I like to do these days.Since the late 1950s, I have been interestedin the noise attenuation by ear protectors.This has led me lately to the developmentof a new sound muffling ear protectionsystem known as ZEM (Zwislocki EarMuffler) which I designed for use inindustry and noise environments. The ZEMworks by directing sound away from theears with the help of wave resonance thatproduces a sound-pressure null at theentrance to the ear canal. Because thefrequency response of the ZEM system isflat, the ability to understand speech in anoisy environment is optimized.

AT:And, I understand that you havealso recently authored an

autobiography?

ZWISLOCKI:Well, it is not an autobiography but amonograph entitled Auditory SoundTransmission: An AutobiographicalPerspective. It has been published byLawrence Erlbaum Assoc. in 2002. Thebook is intended as a culmination of mylife’s research on sound transmission in thehuman ear and is mainly based on myresearch. It is not just a review of my pastwork, however. Rather, original conceptshave been modified according to thecurrent state of knowledge. For example,our concept of cochlear mechanics ofBékésy’s times has been modifiedaccording to valid more recent insights.The model that has emerged is much morecomplex than our original simplisticdescriptions would have suggested.

17

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


ZWISLOCKIZwislocki’sAcousticImpedanceBridge

Zwislocki’sAcousticCoupler

Dr. Zwislocki

19

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGYBOARD OF DIRECTORS2008 NOMINEES

E. Kimberly Barry, AuDChief, Audiology and Speech Pathology Service,Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,Augusta, GA

EducationBA: Audiology and Speech Pathology, University ofOklahoma, 1977MS: Audiology, University of Oklahoma HealthSciences Center, 1980AuD: Central Michigan University, 2000

Professional Activities: Audiologist, Department of Veterans Affairs,1990–2002; Chief, Audiology and Speech Pathology, Department of VeteransAffairs, 2003–present; Fellow, American Academy of Audiology, 1995–present;Board Certified, American Board of Audiology, 2001–present; Georgia Academyof Audiology Steering Committee, 2001–2002; Georgia Academy of AudiologyConvention Committee, 2002; Secretary-Treasurer, Association of VAAudiologists, 2002–2006; Professional Resource, Audiology AwarenessCampaign, 2003–present; Professional Liaison, Augusta, GA, Chapter, HearingLoss Association of America, 2004–2006; Clinical Champion for Audiology, VISN7, Department of Veterans Affairs, 2005–present; Chair, Georgia Academy ofAudiology Membership Committee, 2006–2008; Department of Veterans AffairsSouthern Region Professional Standards Board, 2006–present; AmericanAcademy of Audiology Membership Committee, 2006–2008; American Academyof Audiology Welcoming Sub-Committee, 2006–2008; Adjunct Appointment,Medical College of Georgia, 2007–present; American Academy of AudiologyLearning Labs Sub-Committee, AudiologyNOW! 2007; Board of Directors,Audiology Awareness Campaign, 2007–present; Chair, American Academy of

Audiology Learning Modules Sub-Committee, AudiologyNOW! 2008

Honors: Superior Performance Award, Augusta, GA, VA Medical Center, 1993,1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004; Commendation, Georgia State House ofRepresentatives, 1996; Special Contribution Award, Augusta, GA, VA MedicalCenter, 1998, 2005, 2006; Department of Veterans Affairs Network ExecutiveHealthcare Leadership Institute, 2005–2006

Areas of Special Interest: Geriatrics, credentialing, audiology education,public awareness of the professional identity of audiologists

Position Statement: I am honored to be nominated for the position ofMember-at-Large for the Academy. Audiology has made major strides inachieving professional autonomy, in improving public awareness of the role ofthe Audiologist, in developing a credentialing process independent ofmembership in any one organization, and in the delivery of quality hearinghealth care. But we must address two other critical concerns to insure thecontinued viability and growth of our profession. First, it is imperative that weestablish and foster close liaisons with clinical training programs in order tooffer students exemplary practicum experiences and to provide informedfeedback to their mentors as to the adequacy of their preparation to practiceprofessionally. Second, if we are to avoid stagnation and obsolescence in ourrapidly-evolving, high-tech society, we must be quick to apply new researchfindings, tools, and techniques. But if we become dependent upon othersoutside the profession to provide these critical resources, we will put ourhard-won stature and independence in jeopardy. It is essential that weaggressively support research training and active engagement in research. Ifyou choose me as a member of the Academy Board of Directors, I promise towork diligently to achieve these goals.

Deborah L. Carlson, PhDDirector, Center for Audiology and SpeechPathology, and Associate Professor ofOtolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch,Galveston, TX

Education:AB: Speech Pathology, Augustana College, RockIsland, IL, 1980MS: Communication Disorders and Sciences andRehabilitation Administration, Southern Illinois

University at Carbondale, 1982PhD: Audiology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 1986

Professional Activities: Director, Center for Audiology and Speech Pathology,1989–present; Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, 1995–present; AmericanSpeech-Language-Hearing Association Professional Services Board, 1997–2000;Audiology Column Editor, ASHA Administration and Supervision Newsletter,1999–2001; American Academy of Audiology Membership Committee,1999–2003; President, Texas Academy of Audiology, 2000–2001; Texas StateBoard of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology, 2000–2006; RegionalCoordinator, AAA State Network Committee, 2001–2006; Associate Coordinator,American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Division 11 Steering Committee;2001–2004; Scientific and Education Board, American Speech-Language-HearingAssociation, 2001–2003; Exhibitor Advisory Committee, American Academy ofAudiology, 2003–2005; Chair, AAA Membership Committee, 2004–2006; Past-president’s advisory council, Texas Academy of Audiology, 2005–present;Financial Planning Board, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,2006–present; State Licensure Subcommittee, American Academy of Audiology,2006–2007; Coding and Reimbursement Committee, American Academy ofAudiology, 2006–present

Honors: Gubernatorial appointment to state licensure board, 2000; Fellow,American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2007

Areas of Special Interest: Amplification, diagnostics in CAPD andelectrophysiology, professional issues

Position Statement: The profession of audiology has rapidly advanced in thepast twenty years and is at a crossroads in many areas. Direct access is criticalto our future as independent service providers, will provide more cost-effectivehearing healthcare, and have an impact on reimbursement. The upgrade ofour profession from a master’s to AuD degree has been realized and is in needof refinement and standardization as it relates to education and the clinicalexternship. Programs will be held to high and consistent standards throughclinical accreditation and would be further enhanced with an in-serviceexamination, much like that which exists in medical residency programs. Thisexamination would allow individuals and programs the ability to rankthemselves in relation to other programs. The AuD clinical externship portionof the education experience is in need of standardization in terms of site andpreceptor expectations, as well as clinical exposure. A certification oraccreditation process for clinical sites or preceptors would ensure a highquality experience during this critical training year. Promotion of evidencebased practice and collection of outcome data will assist our profession in itscontinued efforts to improve third party reimbursement and recognition in thehealthcare arena. To this end we must continue to educate our members incoding and billing practices, reimbursement, and professional advocacyefforts. Finally, continued public awareness efforts must not only enhanceconsumer knowledge of our profession but will also focus on attracting futureprofessionals for the clinical arena as well as attracting scientists for researchand teaching.

20

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGYBOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lawrence M. Eng, AuDPrivate Practice, Director of Audiological Services,Golden Gate Hearing Services, San Francisco, CA

Education:

BA: Communicative Disorders, San Francisco StateUniversity, 1984MS: Communicative Disorders, San Francisco StateUniversity, 1986AuD: Pennsylvania College of Optometry, School ofAudiology, 2001

Professional Activities: Board of Directors, Hearing Society for the BayArea, 1991–1993; Secretary, Bay Area Audiology Group, 1995–1997; NorthernCalifornia representative, California Academy of Audiology, 2001; LegislativeLiaison, California Academy of Audiology, 1998–2000; Wireless accesstaskforce member, ATT/Cingular, 1994–2007; Board member, Academy of

Doctors of Audiology, 2003–2005; AAA State Leadership network, 2005–2006;President, California Academy of Audiology, 2006

Honors: Community Service Award, Bay Area Audiology Group

Areas of Special Interests: Aural rehabilitation/amplification, cellphone/hearing aid compatibility, and state licensure issues

Position Statement: We have made great strides in our profession due to theunwavering commitment, vision and enthusiasm of past board members. Thehard work of this Academy has resulted in the acknowledgment by local, stateand federal agencies that audiologists may be entrusted to serve individualswith hearing loss and vestibular problems. I am prepared to continue the workthat the current board has been doing to ensure that our profession has therecognition that we have all worked so very hard to achieve. It is important thatthe AAA Board be representative of the diversity of its members in order to bean effective vehicle for all.

2008 NOMINEES

Noreen Daly Gibbens, AuDHenry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI

EducationBA: Western Michigan University, 1982MS: Vanderbilt University, 1984AuD: Central Michigan University, 2006

Professional Activities: Michigan Academy ofAudiology Board Member and President, 2002–present;Michigan Audiology Coalition Convention PlanningCommittee Member, 2005–present; Hearing Loss

Association of Michigan-Macomb Chapter Professional Advisor, 2005–present; Day atthe State Capitol (HLA-MI) Planning Committee, 2005–present; Michigan Academy ofAudiology Reimbursement Committee, 2004–present

Areas of Special Interest: Reimbursement, defining appropriate scope of practice,quality of patient management.

Position Statement: As a clinical audiologist who sees patients on a dailybasis, I believe we need to increase the use of support staff in our profession. Ido not feel we will ever have the public perception we deserve without changingthe manner in which we utilize support staff. We also need to focus onrecruiting students even in high school in order to attract additional qualifiedindividuals to the profession. Without doing so, we will not be able to providethe level of services needed for our patients. Although I work in a building withmany physicians, I still encounter roadblocks to patient care that involve theproblems with direct access. This is an issue every audiologist needs to beinvolved in, as it has a major impact on our ability to provide care.

As an active member of the committee planning “Hearing Loss AwarenessDay” at the Michigan state capitol I have needed to work with other hearinghealth care professionals in the state (physicians and hearing aid dealers), andmembers of hearing loss advocacy groups. It has involved recognizing theinterests of audiologists while supporting others. This can be a verychallenging venture, but an important one to continue on the national level.

Joscelyn R. K. Martin, AuDInstructor of Audiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Education:BA: Audiology and Speech Sciences, Michigan StateUniversity, 1993MA: Audiology and Hearing Sciences,Northwestern University, 1994AuD: Audiology, Central Michigan University, 2002

Professional Activities: Faculty Audiologist,Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1996–1997; Clinical Audiologist, Ear, Noseand Throat SpecialtyCare of Minnesota, 1997–1998; Clinical Audiologist, MayoClinic, Rochester, MN, 1998–present; American Academy of Audiology, StudentVolunteers Subcommittee of the convention Program Committee, 2004–2005;Minnesota Academy of Audiology, Government Relations Chair, 2004–present;American Academy of Audiology, State Leaders’ Network Member, 2004–present;Minnesota Academy of Audiology, Treasurer, 2004–2005; Minnesota Academy ofAudiology, President, 2007; American Academy of Audiology, AudiologyNOW!Community Support Subcommittee Chair, 2006; Minnesota Department of Health,Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Advisory Council, 2007–present;Minnesota Department of Health, Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Council,2007–present; American Academy of Audiology, Professional Standards and

Practices Committee, 2007–present

Areas of Special Interest: Early hearing detection and intervention, patientand family centered counseling, audiology education

Position Statement: Audiology awareness, education, ethics,reimbursement, and government relations are several of the priorities key toour academy today. They require cooperation, among members of ouracademy, the general public, and associated organizations.

Public awareness of our profession has increased considerably over theyears, and will continue to increase as we promote awareness. Similarlycrucial to the proliferation of our profession are our efforts to promote AuDand PhD programs to potential students. Pursuit of innovative educationalavenues is fundamental to our ability to produce the best clinicians andresearchers. Maintaining ethical standards befitting the profession that isaudiology is a complex priority for the academy. Continued effort will benecessary to encourage a culture of high ethical standards. One of the mostimmediate concerns for audiologists in the field is third party reimbursement.So many aspects of this priority are outside of our immediate control. Theaspects that we do have control over involve so many facets of our academy,from coding and reimbursement to government relations.

I welcome the responsibility and privilege of serving an organization that hasdone so much to benefit its membership and promote the profession of audiology.

21

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1



Erin L. Miller, AuDCoordinator, Hearing Aid Dispensary and ClinicalPreceptor, University of Akron, Northeast Ohio AuDConsortium, Akron, OH

Education:BS: Speech Pathology and Audiology, ClarionUniversity of Pennsylvania, 1983MA: Audiology, Kent State University, 1986AuD: University of Florida, 2000

Professional Activities: Private Practice, Neuro-Communication Services, Inc., 1993–2005; Communications Chair, Ohio Academy ofAudiology, 2002–2003; President, Northern Ohio Academy of Audiology, 2003;Exhibits and Sponsorship Chair, Ohio Audiology Conference, 2003; Web Developer,Ohio Academy of Audiology, 2003–2005; Board of Governors, American Board ofAudiology, 2003–2005; President, Ohio Academy of Audiology, 2004; Chair, AmericanBoard of Audiology Marketing Committee, 2004–2005; Secretary and Ohio Academyof Audiology Representative, Ohio Speech and Hearing Governmental AffairsCoalition, 2004–2007; State Leaders Network, Region 3 Captain, 2004–2006; Chair,ABA Nominations Committee, 2005; Planning Committee Chair, Ohio AudiologyConference 2005 and 2007; Member, American Board of Audiology Marketing andFundraising Committee, 2005–present; Chair, American Academy of Audiology StateNetwork Committee, 2006–2007; Committee Member, American Academy ofAudiology Government Relations Committee, 2006–2007; National Association ofFuture Doctors of Audiology Faculty Advisor, Northeastern Ohio AuD Consortium,2006–present; American Academy of Audiology Ethical Practices Committee,2006–present; Membership Chair, Women in Higher Education, University of Akron,2007–present; Chair, Ohio Speech and Hearing Governmental Affairs Coalition,2007–present; Board of Directors, American Academy of Audiology, 2007–present

Honors: Scholar Award, American Academy of Audiology, 2002, 2003, 2004,2005, and 2006; appointed interim Member-at-Large on the AmericanAcademy of Audiology Board of Directors, 2007–present

Areas of Special Interest: Adult audiologic treatment; auditory processingdisorders; professional issues, and student mentoring

Position Statement: The profession of audiology, with the Academy as its voice,has made significant progress in improving public awareness of the professionand the services we provide. The Academy’s Government Relations Committee,through the diligent work of our colleagues and Academy staff, is ensuring policymakers understand the important work we do to improve the quality of life forour patients with hearing and balance problems. As a profession we have a greatdeal to be proud of; yet, there is much work ahead. Audiologists must be recog-nized as independent practitioners with the ability to bill for services, andpatients must have direct access to our services. The Academy Board of Directorshas made this a legislative focus, and I am confident I have the energy to helpcontinue this work. Creating rigorous educational standards to ensure studentsare adequately prepared to practice professionally upon graduation is critical.We must also support audiologic research which will guarantee that audiologycan chart its own destiny. Finally, I believe that mentoring future leaders of ourprofession must be a priority for the Academy. It is imperative that those of usinvolved at the local, state and national levels demonstrate the value of involve-ment in professional organizations, create a venue through the Academy for stu-dent involvement and engage students in the process. Mentoring future leaderswill ensure the Academy’s success. I am proud to be an audiologist, committedto the success of our profession and I would be honored to serve the member-ship of the American Academy of Audiology.

2008 NOMINEES

Jill E. Preminger, Ph.D.Associate Professor, University of Louisville Schoolof Medicine, Louisville, KY

Education:BS: Speech Pathology and Audiology, BostonUniversity, 1980MS: Communication Disorders, University ofWisconsin–Madison, 1982PhD: Audiology, University ofMinnesota–Minneapolis, 1993

Professional Activities: Assistant Professor, Department of SpecialEducation, Kean University of New Jersey, Union, NJ, 1997; ResearchAudiologist, The Lexington Center, Research Division, Jackson Heights, NewYork, 1997; Assistant Professor, University of Louisville, Department of Surgery,Program in Audiology, 1998–2004; Associate Professor, University ofLouisville, Department of Surgery, Program in Audiology, 2004–present;Education Committee, American Academy of Audiology, 2001–2004; FeaturedSessions Committee, American Academy of Audiology Convention, 2000–2001;Assistant Editor, Journal of the American Academy of Audiology,2002–present; Chair, Instructional Course Committee, American Academy ofAudiology Convention, 2002; Consultant, Ear and Hearing, 2002–present;Associate Editor, Journal of Educational Audiology, 2002–2004; ExecutiveBoard Member, Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 2004–present; StudentResearch Forum Committee, American Academy of Audiology, 2005; President,Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, 2005; Convention Chair, Academy of

Rehabilitative Audiology, 2006; Consultant, American Journal of Audiology,2006; Publications Committee, American Academy of Audiology,2006–present; Consultant, Trends in Amplification, 2007; Associate Editor,Journal of Speech Language Hearing Research, 2007

Honors: University of Louisville, Program in Audiology, Teaching Award, 2007

Areas of Special Interest: Evaluation of audiologic rehabilitation services,reimbursement for audiologic rehabilitation services, audiology education

Position Statement: I have had the pleasure of working in audiology as aclinician, researcher, teacher and mentor over the past 24 years. Audiology hasexperienced considerable evolution as our research base has increased and asthe entry level degree into clinical practice has changed. Audiology will continueto evolve to meet the changing needs of our patients. As a result, the AmericanAcademy of Audiology has a crucial role in driving the evolution of Audiology.

As an Academy Board Member, I would advocate for the development ofAudiology in the following areas. First, evidence based research in audiology isincreasing. I would promote additional evidenced based research. Additionally,the dissemination of this research must improve so that our clinical activities arealways based on current best practices. Second, while audiologic rehabilitationis the focus of my research, audiologic rehabilitation is often not the focus of ourclinical activities. This is primarily due to reimbursement and payment issues.Efforts are necessary to improve reimbursement for all clinical services. Third,as an educator, I am interested in promoting change in our audiology educationas we move to a new accreditation model. Outcomes based research is necessaryto evaluate our educational model.

22

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008



Georgine Ray, AuD Private Practice, Owner/President, AffiliatedAudiology Consultants, Inc., Phoenix, AZ

Education:BS: Speech and Hearing Sciences, Arizona StateUniversity, 1979MS: Communication Disorders, Arizona StateUniversity, 1983 AuD: University of Florida, 2003

Professional Activities: Vice-President and Chair,Program/Convention Committee, Arizona Speech-Language-HearingAssociation, 1988–1990; President, Arizona Speech-Language-HearingAssociation, 1992–1993; Co-Chair Local Arrangements, Program Committee,American Academy of Audiology Annual Convention, 1993; Founding Member,Board of Governors, American Board of Audiology, 1998–2001; EditorialAdvisory Board, Audiology Today, 1999–present; Strategic Planning DiscussionGroup, American Academy of Audiology, 2000; Proctor, Arizona Hearing AidDispensing License exam, 2000–present; Member and Chair, AdvisoryCommittee, Arizona Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology and Hearing AidDispenser Licensing, 2001–present; Clinical Preceptor for AuD Program, A.T.Still University, Arizona School of Health Sciences, 2003–present; Chair,Employment Services Center Sub-Committee, American Academy of AudiologyAnnual Convention, 2004; Member and AZ representative, State LeadersNetwork, American Academy of Audiology, 2004–present; Member, EthicalPractices Committee, American Academy of Audiology, 2005–present

Areas of Special Interest: Public awareness of our profession, directaccess, reimbursement, externship opportunities for AuD students, privatepractice issues

Position Statement: How did we get here and where are we headed? It iscritical that we, as a profession, pay due diligence to these questions andtake an active role in deciding who will chart our course. I think I speakfor all in our profession to say that audiologists had better be in the driver’sseat! I would be honored to represent my fellow colleagues as we continuein our ongoing efforts to be the leaders in hearing health care. My personalinterests involve issues of particular concern to private practitioners, suchas coding, reimbursement and marketing. Along with these issues are otherfacets of the profession that are important to ALL audiologists, includingethics, student education/mentoring, continuing education, support forresearch, licensure and certification, to name a few. The challenge we faceis how to successfully merge these issues into private practice and otherclinical settings with as little conflict as possible. It is our Academy’s role toprovide guidance and leadership in all these areas. As a profession we havesuccessfully faced many challenges and subsequently achieved many impres-sive goals during the 20 years of our Academy’s existence. There willinevitably be more challenges ahead. During my career, I have been activelyinvolved with many of these challenges through my participation on boards,committees and task forces at national, state and local levels. If elected, Iwill dedicate myself as an Academy Board Member to LISTEN to our organi-zation’s membership and address their needs and concerns to the best ofmy ability.

2008 NOMINEES

ELECTION 2008 INFORMATION: This election in 2008 will be the second year that theAcademy President will be elected by the Board of Directors from the sitting or past Board mem-bers. This is in accordance with a change in the by-laws enacted in 2005. This change in electionprocess may create a vacancy in the current Board of Directors should one of them be elected toserve as President.

The nominees presented in this issue of Audiology Today are candidates for the Member-at-Largeof the Board of Directors. Three of the candidates will be elected by the general membership to servea three-year term, beginning in July of 2008 through June of 2011. It is important for the votingmembership to understand that their elected Members-at-Large could ultimately serve as theAcademy President. Should the election of the President create a vacancy in the current sitting Boardof Directors, an additional candidate (with the fourth highest count of votes) will be added as anappointed Board Member to fulfill the term of the open position.

The 2008 American Academy of Audiology election of new Board Members will be held fromFebruary 5 through March 5. All members with an electronic address in the database will be sentan e-mail ballot. Those members who do not have an electronic address on file will be sent a paperballot by regular mail on January 31. It is anticipated that the new Board Members and the newPresident-Elect will be announced on or about March 14, 2008.

23

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


P erformance variability among cochlearimplant (CI) users has been a topic of muchresearch interest. Why is it that one person canunderstand conversations over the phone whileanother CI user refuses to wear their implant insituations with background noise? This type ofperformance heterogeneity is especially truewhen it comes to understanding speech innoise. While some CI users can understandspeech in quiet, they often have great difficultyin noisy situations.

Much research has been focused onestimating how well CI users will be able toperceive speech in quiet and in backgroundnoise, and results have been somewhat mixed.If a test were developed to estimate speechperception in CI users, it might improve theefficiency in programming implant processorsor provide additional information for(re)habilitation strategies, such as increasing theamount of aural (re)habilitation recommendedfor a child with a poor test result. A test withthis in mind might be able to indicate whichprogram map would be optimal for the patient’scapacity to understand speech.

If such a test were to be used with youngchildren and infants, it would need to benonlinguistic because infants and childrenmight not be able to tell us what speech soundsthey do or do not understand. In the last fewyears, attempts to design such tests have beenmade. In particular, studies using spectral-ripple noise stimuli have shown promisingresults. Spectral (frequency) resolution istargeted in these tests because reduced spectralresolution has been related to poor speechperception in CI users (see Won, Drennan, andRubinstein, 2007 for review). In short, thefrequency information contained in the stimuliincludes non-overlapping, narrow bands ofnoise (see Figure 1). A common bandwidth forripple stimuli is 100 – 5000 Hz. The stimulimay be described by the number of ripples(spectral peaks) per octave.

The subject’s taskis to indicate if theyhear a spectral changein the stimulus or toidentify which stimulussounds different whenseveral samples arepresented. Thespectral “change” theyare listening for is an“inverted” stimulus,which has its spectralpeaks halfway betweenthe spectral peaks ofthe regular ripplesound. Detecting thisspectral change iseasier when there arefewer ripples (spectralpeaks are fartherapart), and becomesmore difficult as thenumber of ripplesincrease (peaks closertogether). Thresholdscan be quicklyobtained by using an adaptive procedure.

Henry, Turner, and Behrens (2005) foundsignificant correlations between spectral-ripplethreshold and vowel and consonantunderstanding in quiet for CI users, hearing-impaired and normal-hearing listeners.Listeners that had better spectral-ripplethresholds had better speech perception inquiet. How spectral-ripple threshold relatesto speech in noise is the important question,considering CI users often have difficultyin noise.

Won et al (2007) reported that spectralripple discrimination threshold in adult CI userswas significantly correlated with speechrecognition threshold (SRT) in quiet and twotypes of noise: multi-talker babble and speechspectrum noise. The better a listener’s spectral

resolution, the lower their SRT.In addition, a significantcorrelation between spectralripple threshold and wordrecognition in quiet was found.Test-retest reliability of thespectral ripple thresholds wasgood when compared acrosstwo sessions on different days.These relationships were seenacross a wide age range, evenwhen subjects ranged in agefrom 41 to 81 years. However,it should be noted that thesesubjects were reported to besuccessful CI users and it willbe important to test therelationship between spectralripple threshold and speechperception in CI users who perform poorly with their devices.

It will also be important tocompare spectral ripplethresholds to wordrecognition scores obtained in

noise. And finally, if spectral-ripple basedtests are to be used in clinical practice, therelationship between spectral-ripplethresholds and speech understanding willneed to be examined in pediatric populations.Pediatric populations could especially benefitfrom successful tests such as these, as thesepatients are not always able to providefeedback as to what device settings result inbetter speech perception.

REFERENCESHenry, B. A., Turner, C. W., & Behrens, A. (2005).

Spectral peak resolution and speech recognition in quiet:Normal hearing, hearing impaired, and cochlear implantlisteners. J Acoust Soc Am., 118(2), 1111-1121.

Won, J. H., Drennan, W. R., & Rubinstein, J. T. (2007).Spectral-ripple resolution correlates with speech reception innoise in cochlear implant users. Journal of the Association forResearch in Otolaryngology, 8, 384-392.

A Moment ofA Moment of SciencScience

Christopher G. Clinard, MAand Kelly L. Tremblay, PhD

Can Ripples Predict Speech Understanding in Listeners with Cochlear Implants?

Christopher G. Clinard, MA, and Kelly L. Tremblay, PhD, Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Examples of ripple noise spectra for 2 ripples peroctave (top panel) and 2.8 ripples per octave(bottom panel). Each panel shows spectra forstandard (solid line) and inverted (dashed line)stimuli. An example test condition would presentthe standard and inverted stimuli for two ripplesper octave for the subject to discriminate. Thesubject would be asked to determine whether thestimuli is the same or different.

FIGURE 1

24

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


The American Academy ofAudiology Foundation ispleased to announce that DeWet Swanepoel, PhD, willpresent the 2008 MarionDowns Lecture in PediatricAudiology atAudiologyNOW!Swanepoel, a SeniorResearcher and ClinicalAudiologist at the University of Pretoria,South Africa, has dedicated most of hiscareer to promote and develop earlyidentification and intervention programsfor infant hearing loss in developingcountries such as South Africa. Hispresentation, Infant Hearing Loss:Silent Epidemic of DevelopingCountries, is scheduled for April 4, 2008at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Dr. Swanepoel’s presentation willfocus on how almost 90% of infantsborn with hearing loss live in developingcountries where there is virtually noprospect of early identification orintervention. In these countries the highprevalence of childhood hearing loss, thelack of early clinical signs to signal thecondition and the low priority for non-life-threatening conditions has consignedinfant hearing loss to a silent epidemic.He will discuss the extent of this globalepidemic with critical consideration ofthe unique risks and challenges posed bydeveloping contexts such as HIV/AIDS.The case for early identification andintervention for hearing loss indeveloping countries will be presented through the review ofpilot programs, analysis of global healthcare expenditure, and a discussion ofethical imperatives.

Dr. Swanepoel was born in Pretoria,South Africa in 1978 where he alsospent his childhood years until 11thgrade when he moved to Little Rock,

Arkansas. Despite severalopportunities to pursuegraduate studies in the US, hereturned to South Africa toconduct his undergraduatestudies in audiology andspeech-language pathology atthe University of Pretoria. Hepursued a research master’sdegree on the auditory

steady-state response. His work wasacknowledged as “outstanding” by theNational Science and Technology Forumof South Africa’s Department of Scienceand Technology. He continued hisdoctoral studies inaudiology on thedevelopment and implementation of earlyhearing detection andintervention programs at primary health careclinics in rural SouthAfrican communities.The findings werepublished as a unique and novel infanthearing screening model for developingcountries.

Dr. Swanepoel has pursued hisresearch and clinical interests in thefields of early identification anddiagnostic audiology for infants andyoung children with a specific emphasison the challenges posed by developingworld contexts. His efforts to advanceearly identification of hearing loss isevident in the first internationalconference for Early Hearing Detectionand Intervention in Africa which washeld in South Africa during 2007, forwhich Dr Swanepoel was one of themain organizers and invited speakers.Swanepoel has received several awardsand research grants from organizationsincluding the Mellon Foundation, UKHearing Conservation Council, SKYE

Foundation, National ResearchFoundation and the National AdvisoryCouncil on Innovation. The MedicalResearch Council of South Africa is alsocurrently supporting his work in thedevelopment of newborn and infanthearing screening programs in a publichealthcare hospital serving previouslydisadvantaged communities.

Dr. Swanepoel serves on severalnational and international committeesand was recently commissioned by theHealth Professions Council of SouthAfrica to compile an Early HearingDetection and Intervention position

statement for South Africa,published in 2007. He is also aneditor for the InternationalJournal of Audiology. He isclosely involved in thecollaborations on contextualchallenges to audiology indeveloping countries around theworld and is currently editing atext on HIV/AIDS and its effect

on communication disorders. He haspublished more than 30 articles, hassupervised numerous postgraduateresearch projects, and has presentedextensively at international conferencesaround the world.

Dr. Swanepoel is married to Marli,who is a physician, and they make theirhome in a quiet suburb on the outskirtsof Pretoria. The great continent of Africais very dear to them and they are bothinvolved in humanitarian projects intheir professional capacities.

The American Academy ofAudiology Foundation is pleased tosponsor the presentation of distinguishedinternational audiologist, Dr. Swanepoel,at AudiologyNOW! 2008 and thanks theOticon Foundation for its continuedgenerous support of the Marion DownsLecture in Pediatric Audiology.

FOUNDATIOSwanepoel to Present Marion Downs Pediatric Lecture for AN! 2008

De Wet Swanepoel

MD Pediatric Lecture:Infant Hearing Loss:Silent Epidemic ofDevelopingCountries, isscheduled for April 4,2008 at the CharlotteConvention Center.

25

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


“HEAR TO PLAY” Golf TournamentScheduled for April 1st

There will be no “April Fools” on the course in Charlotte … just golferswho enjoy “playing a round” and raising money for a great cause, theAAA Foundation! The benefit tournament will be held at RaintreeCountry Club on April 1, 2008, and registration is opened to all thoseattending the AudiologyNOW! 20th Anniversary Celebration. Golferscan sign up, on a first come, first served basis, with their conventionregistration. The cost to play is $88 and includes transportation fromthe Charlotte Convention Center.

There are opportunities for individuals and corporations to participate as hole sponsors andevent underwriters. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the AAA Foundation andits efforts to fund research, education and public awareness in audiology. Call the AAAFoundation office (703-226-1049) for more information.

New PR Campaign Hits the Airwaves: “HearingGreat in 2008”

The Academy and AAA Foundation areexcited to announce that a second publicawareness campaign on healthy hearing waskicked off over the holidays! The “HearingGreat in 2008” program was targeted to hitnational media markets in December andJanuary, and was underwritten with agenerous gift from Energizer Battery, Inc.

These family-focused television spotsencourage consumers to make a New Year’sresolution to visit an audiologist for a hearingcheck-up. During holiday celebrations, we fre-quently notice hearing difficulties in our fami-ly members and friends. Taking them to visitan audiologist could be the best present—thegift of hearing.

The Academy and AAA Foundation thankEnergizer for its support, as we work to ensurethat everyone is “Hearing Great in 2008!”

AAA Foundation and Academy Announce the 2008 AROTravel Award Recipients

The American Academy of Audiology Foundation and American Academy of Audiology arepleased to announce the recipients of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology TravelAwards for 2008. The awards are offered to defray travel and lodging expense for Academymembers who are presenting authors on a submitted abstract for the ARO Midwinter Meeting.

The 2008 Award recipients are Renee Banakis and Brian Earl. Banakis, a fourth year AuDstudent at Northwestern University, will present on “Spontaneous and Tone-Evoked OtoacousticEmissions in Mice.” Earl is a PhD student in audiology at the University of Kansas who willdiscuss his research, “Estimating the Number of Auditory Nerve Fibers Using the CompoundAction Potential,” at the conference.

The Association for Research in Otolaryngology is an international association of scientistsand clinicians dedicated to scientific exploration in the areas of hearing, balance, speech, tasteand smell among others. A wide range of scientific approaches is represented includingbiochemical, physiological, behavioral, genetic, developmental and evolutionary. The MidwinterMeeting, held annually in February, is a premier research meeting that attracts 1000–1500scientists from around the world.

The funding of the ARO Travel Awards is made possible by donations from Academymembers to the AAA Foundation. To find out how you can make a tax-deductible contribution tothis worthwhile program, please call Kathleen Devlin Culver at 703.226.1049

“Great States!” BasketAuction Planned forAudiologyNOW! 2008

The American Academy of AudiologyFoundation is challenging each state academyto participate in our “Great States!” BasketAuction fundraiser at AudiologyNOW!

Those local groups who choose to partici-pate are asked to donate a gift basket featur-ing the best qualities your state has to offer.The themed baskets can highlight your state’snatural resources (think Florida’s beaches) ormost prominent city (Chicago, Chicago!).They can feature a special annual event inyour state (Mardi Gras or the AcademyAwards), spotlight a historical event(Remember the Alamo!) or a local NFL, NBAor MLB team. The possibilities are endless!

The donated state baskets will be auc-tioned off during the AAAF Silent Auction heldin Academy Central in the CharlotteConvention Center. And of course, the bestpart is that all proceeds will benefit the AAAFand help fund programs such as the ABAPediatric Specialty Certification, ResearchAwards, Member Assistance Program,DiscovEARy Zone, and Turn It to the LeftNoise-Induced Hearing Loss Research Fund.

For more information, contact theFoundation office at 703.226.1049.

ON UPDATEAAAF’s 2008 Annual Fund Kicks Off in January

The American Academy of Audiology Foundation asks you to remember its many fundinginitiatives as you make your philanthropic giving plans for 2008. The Foundation relies on thesupport of the members of the Academy as it works to finance many worthy programs inaudiology and the hearing sciences. In 2008 these programs will include the Research Awardsprogram, the Member Assistance Program, the ABA Pediatric Certification initiative, StudentResearch Forum Awards, CAPCSD Summer Institute Scholarship, and the Turn it to the LeftFund for Research and Public Awareness on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, among others.

And remember that all donors who make a gift of $250 or more to the Annual Fund are theFoundation’s special guests at the Happy Hour-and-a-Half in Charlotte. Make your 2008donation before March 15, 2008, to receive your complimentary invitation to this fun eventscheduled for April 2, 2008!

In 2008 we are also encouraging Academy members to become Foundation Visionaries aswe celebrate the Academy’s 20th Anniversary. For more information on the Visionaries initiativeor Annual Fund giving, contact Kathleen Devlin Culver at 703.226.1049 ([email protected])or visit the Foundation’s Web site, www.audiologyfoundation.org.

Kathleen Devlin Culver, MPA Director of DevelopmentAmerican Academy ofAudiology Foundation

26

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


2008 MEMBER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMThe American Academy of Audiology Foundation sup-

ports the Academy as it works to make AudiologyNOW! thepremier educational event in the hearing sciences on anannual basis. The AAA Foundation is pleased to partner withthe Academy by providing registration and travel fundingthrough the Member Assistance Program (MAP) for audiol-ogists who might not otherwise have the resources to attend.

The application process is open to any Academy memberwho is experiencing FINANCIAL HARDSHIP (due to nat-ural disaster or medical, family, professional or personalreasons). If your attendance at AudiologyNOW! 2008hinges on additional support, the AAA Foundation invitesyou to apply for this assistance. The assistance provided caninclude complimentary registration, complimentary accom-modations in Charlotte and/or a stipend or reimbursementof travel expenses.

Applicants for MAP funding must be members of theAcademy and must not have received MAP funding in thepast. MAP assistance can only be used in conjunction withattendance at AudiologyNOW! 2008. Those who are eligiblefor assistance through the Academy’s Student VolunteerProgram are not eligible for MAP.

All applicants must:• Complete the Member Assistance Program Application

available at www.audiologynow.com.• Attach a Statement of Need (not to exceed 500 words) to

your application. • Return both to the AAA Foundation office via mail, email

or fax. All information must be received by Friday,February 8, 2008.

Applications and statements will be reviewed and evalu-ated by the MAP committee, and all information submittedwill be kept confidential. All MAP applicants will be noti-fied by Friday, February 22, 2008. Please contact KathleenDevlin Culver (800.222.2336 x 1049 or [email protected]) for more information.

The AAA Foundation appreciates the financial support ofAuban, Inc., and Oaktree Products, Inc., our 2008 MemberAssistance Program underwriters. Thank you!

27

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


Members of the ABA

Board of Governors

Bettie Champion Borton, Chair

James Beauchamp

James Hall, III

Beth Longnecker

Jill Meltzer

Angela Morris

Steven Sederholm

American Academy of Audiology Board of Directors LiaisonTherese Walden

Past ChairEx Officio MemberBruce Edwards

Public MemberSondra King

Managing Director Ex Officio MemberSara Blair Lake

For ABA information contact:

American Board of Audiology™

11730 Plaza America Drive

Suite 300

Reston, VA 20190

1.800.881.5410

BOARD CERTIFIED IN AUDIOLOGY™

The American Board of Audiology™ (ABA) stipulates in its mission statement that it is “dedicated toenhancing audiologic services to the public by promulgating universally recognized standards inprofessional practice. The ABA encourages audiologists to exceed these prescribed standards, therebypromoting a high level of professional development and ethical practice.”

That succinct statement covers a lot of territory in the certification field! Think about how manyaudiologists you know and how many areas of practice they are engaged in: cochlear implants, earlyidentification and management of hearing loss, hearing aid dispensing, diagnostic testing, intraoperativecranial nerve monitoring, vestibular testing, industrial hearing conservation, clinical administration,university-level instruction, etc., etc. I would be hard-pressed to tally the number of practitioners that Iknow in those areas—my bet is that you would find the exercise equally difficult! So, how can the ABApromote, or market, itself to a profession with such diverse interests? The answer is by aligning itsproducts and services (Board and Specialty Certification) with its mission statement—affirming thecritical importance of a carefully crafted statement.

According to the findings of a task force of the American Society of Association Executives thatproduced 7 Measures of Success—What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don’t, nonprofitorganizations like AARP, the Girl Scouts of the USA, the American Dental Association, the NationalAssociation of Counties and others build their structures, processes and interactions around assessingand fulfilling members’ needs and expectations. Such a focus is equally important in marketing forsmaller organizations too. In the study, other vital marketing measures of success included:

• operating in a customer-service culture;• the use of data-driven strategies to track and fulfill member needs and drive change in the

organization;• routine staff and volunteer dialogues that aid in determining direction and priorities; • an organizational willingness to consider the need for change; and• seeking complementary partners and projects to strengthen alliances.

If creating and maintaining a customer service culture and aligning products and services are twocomponents of successful organizational marketing commitments to purpose (as outlined in 7Reasons), does the ABA in fact “walk the walk and talk the talk”? Cindy Simon, a private practitionerand partner in South Miami Audiology, thinks so. In a questionnaire recently sent by the ABA’sMarketing Committee to a select group, Simon—one of the longest, continuously Board Certifiedaudiologists in the ABA—remarked that “Board Certification is the high path and the right path. I amvery proud that Board Certification is not something easily conferred on an individual ... and thatbefore any other organization had any requirements for renewal, ABA Board Certification mandatedcontinuing education and ethics for maintenance.” These are the very ideas that many audiologistsasked for from the ABA, and they are delivered to those audiologists who, like Simon, are interested inbeing on top of professional developments to help demonstrate their dedication to consumers of theirservices and to various colleagues with whom they work and have contact.

Comments, criticisms and suggestions of Board Certified Audiologists are routinely sought out bythe ABA Board of Governors, formally and informally, leading to additional organizational commitmentsto analysis and feedback and ultimately to action by the ABA Board on behalf of all Board CertifiedAudiologists. As regards the organizational need to be dynamic and responsive, the ABA helped definechange for our profession (voluntary Board Certification of, by and for audiologists—free and clear ofmembership in any audiology organization) and continues to propel the field in the direction of a moreautonomous practice reality. So too, the ABA continues to effectively serve its certificants and the publicby strengthening alliances with allied organizations such as the Academy, the Academy Foundation, andthe Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE).

7 Reasons specifies that while extraordinary organizations differ in their focus and function, allexperience crises and delays. Nevertheless, remarkable groups keep central to all decision makingtheir members and their mission. Without that perspective and the actions that derive from it, there islittle hope for remarkability!

The ABA Board of Governors and its staff invite readers to become involved in our remarkableorganization by seriously considering Board Certification and active involvement in ABA decisionmaking! For more information, call the ABA at 800.881.5410, visit the ABA Web site(www.americanboardofaudiology.org) or email [email protected] for more information.

Bruce Edwards, Immediate past Chair, american Board of Audiology

REMARKABLE MARKETING

28

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


T

Washington Watch

Phil BongiornoSenior Director of

Government Relations,

American Academy

of Audiology

he New Year brings with it a sense of renewal. This is the timewhen we reflect on the previous year, celebrating accomplish-ments and reexamining goals. With every New Year, we tendto use this time to set new goals. For many, this process mani-fests itself in the form of New Year’s resolutions. Over the pastyear, the Academy has seen considerable gains from ourefforts to advance the Medicare Hearing Health CareEnhancement Act (direct access legislation). As of this writing,the books are closing on the first session of the 110thCongress. Through the efforts of Academy members and staff,we have garnered 70 cosponsors for the direct access bill inthe House of Representatives. This represents a 30% increaseover the entire 109th Congress in just the first session. Whileyou make your own New Year’s resolutions, please considerthe following ways you can help the Academy make progresstoward its goal of passing direct access legislation in theUnited States Congress. (See also “New Year’s Resolutions forAudiologists” by President Alison Grimes in theNovember/December 2007 issue of ATExtra.)

WRITE A LETTERThe Academy has prepared a letter that you can mail or e-mailto your elected representatives in Congress. This letter isavailable on the Academy’s Legislative Action Center Webpage at http://capwiz.com/audiology/home. You can alsochoose to write your own letter and mail it to your electedrepresentatives in Washington, DC. To learn the names andcontact information of your Members of Congress, go to theLegislative Action Center Web page and click on the “ElectedOfficials” tab (http://capwiz.com/audiology/dbq/officials/).

MAKE A CALLThe House and Senate operator can be reached at (202) 225-3121. Ask to be connected with the offices of your electedofficials and ask to speak with the legislative assistant handlinghealth-care matters. Describe the direct access legislation tothe staff person (talking points can be found on the AcademyWeb site at http://www.audiology.org/govtrelations/congres-sional/directaccess) and request that the Member of Congresscosponsor S. 2352 /H.R. 1665.

TELL A FRIENDHelp the Academy educate and inform other audiologistsand other health-care professionals. Ask your colleagues towrite a letter or make a call to their elected representatives.

ARRANGE TO VISIT YOUR LEGISLATORS INWASHINGTON OR IN YOUR HOME STATE/DISTRICTThe Academy encourages you to develop personal relation-ships with your legislators, and a good way to begin doing

this is by requesting a meeting in their Washington, DC, orstate/district office.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACADEMY POLITICAL ACTIONCOMMITTEEPolitical activity is an important way to enhance the visibility ofaudiologist services while supporting legislators who havedemonstrated support for the profession. We have anextraordinary opportunity to take advantage of our newCapitol Hill office location to sponsor and host more politicalfundraisers and other political activities. As part of the 20thAnniversary “GIVE to HEAR” campaign, the Academy is ask-ing members to consider an anniversary contribution of$2,008 to the Academy’s Political Action Committee (PAC).This elite group of contributors will receive a very specialrecognition at AudiologyNOW! 2008 in Charlotte. ContactKate Thomas in our Capitol Hill Office at 202-544-9336 [email protected] to find out how you can contributeusing our monthly debit plan. You may also demonstrate yoursupport by contributing $312 to become an inaugural mem-ber of the Academy PAC 312 Club! Your contribution will becommemorated within the new office at 312 MassachusettsAve with a special recognition. Please visit the PACContribution page (http://webportal.audiology.org/Custom/PAC Contributions.aspx) to make your contribution today.

HOST A FUNDRAISER FOR A LEGISLATORThe Academy PAC stands ready to assist those audiologistswho are interested in taking the next step in political action—hosting a fundraiser for a Member of Congress. Contact theAcademy Government Relations staff for more information.

GIVE YOUR LEGISLATORS A TOUREducating your legislators about the role audiologists playin the delivery of quality hearing health care is critical.Invite your elected representatives for a tour of your clinic,hospital, or other facility where you work. You will find thatthey are very receptive to touring places where a goodcrowd or press can be gathered. Contact the AcademyGovernment Relations staff for assistance.

As the Academy marks a significant milestone this comingyear, celebrating its 20th anniversary, we ask all members tocontribute to the success of this advocacy campaign. Let’smake 2008 a year to remember. Happy New Year!

MAKE ADVOCACY PART OF YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

29

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


IDEBRA ABEL, AUD KADYN WILLIAMS, AUD

Debra Abel, AuD, Director of Reimbursement, and Kadyn Williams, AuD, Chair, Coding and Reimbursement Committee

In 2003, Congress promulgated theMedicare Prescription DrugImprovement and Modernization Act(MMA). Section 306 of that act requiresa three-year demonstration program,directed by the secretary of theDepartment of Health and HumanServices and scheduled for completionon March 27, 2008, to correctoverpayments and underpayments toMedicare. To accomplish this, Medicarehas dispatched contractors, known as“Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC),” toFlorida, California and New York, thestates with the highest per capitautilization of Medicare services. Twenty-five percent (25%) of Medicarepayments are to providers in thesestates (Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services [CMS], 2006). TheRACs are to recover theseoverpayments and to correct theunderpayments for three years ofclaims. Connolly Consulting is thecontractor reviewing the New Yorkclaims, PRG Schultz and ConcentraPreferred Systems the California claimsand HealthData Insights the Floridaclaims. The total number of improperpayment dollars identified by the RACsis 303.5 million (CMS, 2006). Most ofthat amount is of course overpaymentdollars, especially from NY and CA.Florida has more physician claims totheir credit whereas CA and NY havemore inpatient hospital claims. This mayalso be due to these contractorsconcentrating their investigative effortsin these specific areas.

Medicare claims that are at least oneyear old will be reviewed by thecontractors. Claims to be reviewed arethose containing complex procedurecodes, bundled services and claimswhere Medicare is the secondary payeror MSP (Medicare Secondary Payer).

The two largest sources ofoverpayments are non-medicallynecessary and incorrectly coded claimsfor claims paid by Medicare. Most ofthe overpayments were from inpatienthospital stays followed by skillednursing facilities (CMS, 2006).Interestingly, the RACs are paid a

percentage of the overpayments theyrecover, an obvious incentive, issuedwhen reviews of claims and medicalrecords are completed. This is the firsttime that Medicare has ever paid acontractor on a fee basis for collections(CMS, 2006).

The impact on audiology is especiallyconcerning. The Academy is keepingthe proverbial ear to the ground as CPTcode 92547 is under intense scrutiny.Add to this a timeline that shifted dueto changing guidance, a moratorium aswell as over-utilization by IndependentDiagnostic Therapy Facilities (IDTFs),and it becomes more complicated.

CPT code 92547, use of verticalelectrodes, is being reviewed by theRACs. This code became an add-oncode in 1999 for vestibular tests. Thedifficulty stems from differing guidancethat was offered by Medicare and bythe CPT Assistant. A moratorium wasissued from May 2004 to February 2005declaring that 92547 should be billedonce per date of service and notmultiple times. The Academy inconjunction with ASHA is providingdocumentation about this timeline andthe guidance offered pre- and post-moratorium to CMS, including theFederal Register, 2004, which specifies92547 be used once per day.

In the coming months, the Academywill be offering information on—among many areas of coding andreimbursement—the requirements ofaccepted practice in chartdocumentation. In order to be incompliance with Medicare statutes,whether or not you are in RACterritory, the following informationmust be clearly recorded: why youperformed the CPT codes you did(ensuring that the ICD-9 diagnosiscode reflects the reason the patientpresented to your office and supportsthe procedures performed), themedically necessary reason the patientwas referred, the outcome of theaudiologic tests and a follow-up letterto your referral source.

REFERENCECenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS). (2006) RAC Status Document FY2006. http://www. cms.hhs.gov/RAC/Downloads/ RACStatus/Document—FY2006.pdf (accessed November 26, 2007).

RAC ’em Up!! Don’t Be Behind the “8-Ball”

CODING

CORNER

Interestingly, the RACs

are paid a percentage

of the overpayments

they recover, an

obvious incentive,

issued when reviews of

claims and medical

records are completed.

32

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


TThere is a plethora of literaturesupporting the diagnostic andrehabilitative/treatment value ofspeech recognition (SR) testsadministered at suprathreshold levels.Overall, the essential functions of SRtests at suprathreshold levels are toassess the integrity of the auditorysystem, which can differentiateperipheral from retrocochlear andcentral hearing loss; obtain informationregarding communication ability foruse in measuring outcomes; andmonitor auditory system status overtime (Rintelmann and Orchick, 1983).

The two essential requirements (i.e.,required) for SR testing are thatstandardized materials be used andthat the same procedures and stimulibe used so that test-retest data can becompared between examiners.Procedurally, the implication of theserequirements is that clinicians mustutilize recorded presentation ofstandardized SR test materials.

From the very beginning it wasrecognized that recorded presentationfor SR testing was superior tomonitored live voice (MLV)presentation. Carhart (1946), a pioneerin the development of speechaudiometry, noted that “phonographpresentation increases the stability ofconditions.” Carhart continues, “Someclinics with broad experience claimthat phonograph presentation issuperior to live-voice presentation” (p.349). Since Carhart’s earlyobservations, a substantial body ofresearch is available to show that

significant increases in test-retestvariability occur with MLV presentationfor SR testing, which reduces thereliability of test scores (Brandy, 1966;Hood and Pool, 1980; Penrod, 1979).The significantly reduced reliability ofMLV presentation for SR eliminates thevalidity of data obtained from anygiven patient; recorded presentationfor SR testing is without question thestandard of practice required forquality diagnosis and propertreatments.

Despite the known advantages ofrecorded presentation for SR testing,the most recent surveys onaudiological practice show that63–82% of audiologists use MLV for SRtesting (Martin et al, 1998; Medwetskyet al, 1999). This apparent lack ofconformity to an accepted standard ofpractice prompted us to conduct aninformal survey of why audiologistscontinue to use MLV for SR testing.Common among the reasons given bylicensed audiologists were that “it’smore convenient—not requiring anyequipment set up time”; “it doesn’tcost any more”; it provides moreflexibility in presenting the stimuli—“Ican repeat some of the words if Ineed to”; “patients perform sopoorly on recordedpresentation—they do betterwith MLV”; and “we talk differentin this part of the country and myvoice is more typical of what mypatients will hear.”

There is no question thatrecorded presentation for SR

testing was initially cumbersome dueto the inability to present stimuli on-demand. With phonograph and taperecordings, the inter stimulus intervalwas fixed at 6–8 sec, often wastingvaluable clinical time if patients’responses were rapid, or causingconfusion and disrupting testing forpatients who required a greater interstimulus interval to respond. However,with the introduction of digitaltechnology, clinicians can now presentpre-recorded speech stimuli on-demand, making it quite convenient.Moreover, equipment and materialcosts are extremely low, possibly lessthan $200–300 for standardized basicSR testing. Consequently, since thereare now no valid procedural or costreasons to rationalize the continueduse of MLV SR testing, it appears thatignorance and/or complacency andlaziness are now the only reasons whyclinicians elect to use MLV presentationfor SR testing.

When individual patient data fromMLV and recorded SR test results arecompared, patients score high for bothrecorded and MLV presentation, butwhen there is a difference, virtually all

Take a refresher indiagnosis and treatment,and earn CEUs!*Order a copy of the Diagnosisand Treatment of Hearing Disorders CDavailable online in the Academy Store athttp://www.audiology.org/academystore/

Ross J. Roeser, PhDJackie L. Clark, PhD

Live Voice Speech Recognition Audiometery—Stop the Madness!

Ross J. Roeser, Executive Director Emeritus, UTD/Callier Center for Communication Disorders, Dallas, TX. Jackie L. Clark, UTD/Callier

Center for Communication Disorders, Dallas, TX, and the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

33

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


patients perform poorer on recordedpresentation. To illustrate thisobservation, we recently tested 16English-speaking patients involved inlitigation over potential work-relatednoise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Priorto our testing, each patient had beenevaluated using MLV (NU6) SR testingby the same audiologist at a differentfacility. We repeated pure tone testingand used a recorded version of theNU6. Figure 1 shows a comparison ofour recorded data to the MLV data foreach patient for the right ear (Fig. 1a)and left ear (Fig. 1b) separately. Alsoincluded in Figure 1 for the recordeddata are the 95% confidence levelspredicted from the Raffin and Thornton(1980) binomial tables. As shown, whenusing the 95% confidence level for therecorded presentations as a criterion,for 23 (72%) of the 32 tests, the scoresfor the recorded presentations weresignificantly poorer when compared tothe MLV presentations. It is importantto point out that SR differences

between the two presentationprocedures exceeded 50% for 10 ofthe 23 scores. The clinicalinterpretation of the data in Figure 1 isthat the adverse effect of the NIHL onmonosyllabic word recognition ability ina quiet environment was substantiallyunderestimated for the 72% of thepatients whose MLV scores weresignificantly better. This finding couldbe quite detrimental to these patientswhose hearing was damaged due towork-related hearing loss inestablishing treatment options and/orpossible compensation.

The time has come for theaudiology community as a whole toaccept the need to standardize SRtesting by using recorded presentationas the standard of care. MLV testingcan no longer be accepted for routineSR testing. That is not to say that MLVcan never be utilized. There will alwaysbe those occasions when MLVpresentation for SR testing will bequite appropriate, such as for special

populations (young children,developmentally delayedpatients, etc.) and other specialcircumstances that might apply.However, when MLV is utilized, itshould be clearly stated on theaudiogram, and interpretationshould be tempered on this nonstandardized method. Of course,with cooperative adult patients,MLV testing for SR threshold

testing is quite acceptable.An interesting observation is that

some patients with similar pure tonethreshold sensitivity loss will performdifferently with MLV and recordedpresentation. While some patientsperform quite well with both procedures,as shown in our data, others performpoorer with recorded presentation.Possible organic factors or psycho-acoustic variables that would explainthese differences should be explored.

REFERENCESBrandy W. (1966) Reliability of voice tests of

speech discrimination. J Speech Hear Res9:461–465.

Carhart R. (1946) Monitored live-voice as atest of auditory acuity. J Acoust Soc Am17:339–349.

Hood JD, Pool JP. (1980) Influence of thespeaker and other factors affecting speechintelligibility. Audiology 19:434–455.

Martin FN, Champlin C, Chambers JA. (1998)Seventh survey of audiometric practices inthe United States. J Am Acad Audiol9(2):95–104.

Medwetsky L, Sanderson D, Young D. (1999)A national survey of audiology clinicalpractices, Part 1. Hear Rev 6 (11): 24–32.

Penrod J. (1979) Talker effects of word-discrimination scores of adults withsensorineural hearing impairment. J SpeechHear Disord 44:340–349.

Raffin M, Thornton A. (1980) Confidencelevels for differences between speech-discrimination scores: a research note. JSpeech Hear Res 23:5–18.

Rintelmann W, Orchick D, eds. (1983)Principles of Speech Audiometry. Baltimore:University Park Press.

Continue your education

with an eAudiology on-

demand Web seminar: “Transitioning from

the Hearing Aid Evaluation to a Functional

Communication Assessment”

www.eaudiology.org

Comparison of Recorded vs. MLV Presentation Modes

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Patient (Right Ears)

Per

cen

t C

orr

ect

MLV

Rec

Comparison of Recorded vs. MLV Presentation Modes

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Patient (Left Ears)

Per

cen

t C

orr

ect

MLV

Rec

FIGURE 1a FIGURE 1b

Figure 1. Comparison of word recognition scores for the (a) right and (b) left ears using monitored live voice andrecorded presentation for 16 patients. The ranges shown for the recorded presentations are the 95% confidence levelspredicted from the Raffin and Thorton (1980) binomial tables.

34

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


TThe American Academy of Audiologyposition statements on supportpersonnel (1997, 2006) state thataudiology assistants are used to “ensureboth the accessibility and the highestquality of audiology care whileaddressing productivity and cost-benefitconcerns.” It has been reported thatthrough the use of audiology assistants,VA audiology has been able to providetimely, quality hearing care services to agreater number of veterans (Dunlop et al,2006). Kasewurm (2006) published datato show the positive impact that the useof audiology assistants may have inprivate practice offices. In both of theaforementioned studies, the authorsagree that successful use of audiologyassistants is dependent upon the qualityof training and supervision with whichthey are provided. However, due to thepaucity of evidence regarding the qualityof care provided by audiology assistants,the question remains whether such care isa cost benefit to hospitals, clinics and/orprivate practices. It is likely that quality ofcare and cost benefit will depend uponaudiology assistant training, the tasksaudiology assistants are allowed toperform, and the degree of decision-making autonomy audiology assistantsare allowed.

Hamill and Freeman (2006) surveyedaudiologists who use audiology assistantsregarding the acceptable scope ofpractice for audiology assistants, and alsoto determine what tasks their audiologyassistants are currently assigned. Ninety-one percent of the respondents indicatedthat their assistant(s) evaluate hearingaids presented for repair. Eighty-threepercent of the respondents indicated

their assistant(s) determine the need forreturn to manufacturer for repair. Eighty-seven percent of respondents indicatedtheir assistant(s) clean hearing aids andmake in-office hearing aid repairs. Hamilland Freeman did not ask respondentswhether they allowed their assistant(s) tomodify hearing aid gain and frequencyresponse as a repair strategy. Finally, only26% of the respondents indicated thattheir assistant(s) perform electroacousticanalysis of hearing aids, though 65% ofthe respondents reported this task wasappropriate for audiology assistants. It isunclear from the survey whether theaudiologists or their assistants interpretthe results of electroacoustic analysis, andwhether the results are actually used toevaluate hearing aids for repair.

Evidently, most audiologists expecttheir assistants to use verbal patientreports, visual inspection, and subjectivelistening checks to determine whetherhearing aids need repair and whether therepairs should be attempted in the officeor returned to the manufacturer. The useof such subjective strategies by audiologyassistants concerns us for at leastthree reasons: First, audiologyassistants are not trained,qualified or licensed todetermine whether patientcomplaints are related toundiagnosed pathology orprogressing hearing loss;secondly, subjective strategiesmay be insufficient to ensureappropriate repair outcomes;

and finally, flawed decision making byaudiology assistants may lead tounnecessary patient return visits, whichwill negatively impact the productivityand cost benefit that their use isdesigned to provide. There is, therefore,a need for an audiology assistantprotocol with forced-choice decisiontracks based on objective data with step-by-step audiologist approved guidance.

In this article, the authors share theirhearing aid care decision-makingprotocol for audiology assistants ascurrently in use in our Veterans Affairsaudiology clinic. The protocol includesstep-by-step guidance with forced-choicedecision points that, when followedcorrectly, ensures that audiologyassistants (1) refer to the audiologistwhen there is a possibility of worseninghearing or the need for advanced hearingaid programming or decision making, (2)systematically evaluate, and whennecessary, objectively evaluate the needfor in-office and manufacturer hearing aidrepair, (3) objectively evaluate the efficacyof in-office repairs, and (4) limit hearing

For more on support personnel,

see the January/February 2006 issue

of Audiology Today, which focuses on the topic of

audiologist’s assistants:

http://www.audiology.org/publications/at/AT2006.htm.

Patricia Saccone, AuD James R. Steiger, PhD

Hearing Aid Care Protocolfor Audiology Assistants

Patricia Saccone, West Palm Beach VA Medical Center, Florida, and James R. Steiger, University of Akron, Ohio

35

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


aid gain and frequency responsechanges. Finally, we compare datacollected before implementation of theprotocol and following implementation ofthe protocol for our clinic.

HEARING AID CAREPROTOCOL

The audiometric assistant protocol isillustrated in two flowcharts. The firstflowchart guides decision making foraudiology assistants confronted withhearing aid complaints (Figure 1).Audiology assistants follow a forced-choice decision-making and repairprocess. When a patient encounter isended, audiology assistants assign theoutcome to one of seven categories.Office staff then refer to these categoriesto decide whether to schedule returnappointments with an audiology assistantor with an audiologist (Figure 2).

As shown in Figure 1, complaintsarising from new hearing aid fittings

(dispensed within the last three months)are referred directly to the fittingaudiologist because the appropriatetreatment may require advancedprogramming adjustments and additionaldecision making rather than repair.Complaints involving hearing aid fittingsof more than three months are assumedto have been originally successful butnow in need of repair or alteration, and,accordingly, these patients are seen byaudiology assistants. The protocol initiallyrequires systematic subjective analysisincluding visual/listening check of thedevice and otoscopy of the patient’s earcanals. Subjective analysis may besufficient for some in-house solutionsincluding hearing aidreorientation/counseling, activatingremote controls and user options,earmold retubing, case/shell modificationand battery door repairs. Successfuloutcomes of these problems are assignedto Category 1. When in-house solutions

are unsuccessful, decisions are made formanufacturer repair (Category 2) orpossible replacement (Category 3) of thehearing aid depending on its age; in ourclinic, hearing aids greater than four yearsold are considered for replacement.

Other complaints reported by patientsare potentially more complex andtherefore require more sophisticatedobjective analysis. Such complaintsinclude hearing aid(s) that are too loud,too weak, dead, distorted or feedingback, and can arise from hearing aidmalfunction or by some change in thepatient, requiring consultation with theaudiologist. Electroacoustic analysis istherefore necessary to decide if the aid isfunctioning as originally programmed andverified by the fitting audiologist. Thisstep on the flow chart is called “initial 2cccoupler output.” We recommend thataudiology assistants compare the test-box electroacoustic analysis of hearingaids to the programmed settings saved in

FIGURE 1 Hearing Aid Care Protocol for Audiology Assistants

36

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


the Noah database and displayed as 2cccoupler output. Our mandatedinterpretation criteria are based on theANSI (1996) frequency response standardfor determining whether a hearing aid isfunctioning within manufacturers’specifications. The response of a hearingaid analyzed by anaudiology assistant isconsidered to befunctioning asprogrammed whenthe hearing aidresponse is within ±4dB for one frequencybelow 2000 Hz andwithin ±6 dB for onefrequency at or above2000 Hz. This step inthe flow chart is called“2cc coupler =programming.”

If the initialmeasured coupleroutput of a hearingaid does not meet ourcriteria, hearing aidmalfunction isconfirmed, and theaudiology assistantattempts an in-house repair (cleaning ofmicrophone inlets, removing debris fromreceiver tubes/ear hooks, etc.). Theoutcome of the repair is then evaluatedby remeasuring 2cc coupler output forcomparison to the programmed settingsusing the aforementioned criteria. Thisstep on the flow chart is called “post-repair 2cc coupler output.” If the coupleroutput then equals the programmedoutput the repair is successful andassigned to Category 4.

In contrast, if the initial measuredcoupler output is within our

aforementioned criteria, malfunction isnot confirmed. The audiology assistantthen determines whether the hearingaid’s gain was set below the audiologist’sprescribed fitting. For hearing aids thatare not programmed to meet theprescribed target, and when complaints

are of weak or ineffective hearing aids,the audiology assistant recalculates thehearing aid gain to the prescribedtargets. Most manufacturer softwareallows for this simple programming as a“first fit” option. If this action resolves thecomplaint, the visit is ended andcategorized as a recalculation to target(Category 5). If the complaint is notresolved, the audiologist is consulted todetermine whether hearing has changedor more advanced counseling orprogramming is needed (Category 6).

When the initial measured coupler

output equals the desired targets and thecomplaint is too loud, too soft, occlusion,or feedback, the assistant can manipulatelow frequency gain by ±4 dB and/or highfrequency gain by ±6 dB. Thisconservative approach insures that theassistant will (1) only make gain

adjustments within therange of the variation tothe gain/frequencyresponse permitted bythe ANSI standard and (2)will likely not compensatefor significant changes inhearing. If this actionresolves the complaint,the visit is ended andcategorized as a changeto the gain/frequencyresponse (Category 7). Ifthe complaint is notresolved, the audiologistis consulted to determinewhether hearing haschanged or moreadvanced counseling orprogramming is needed(Category 6).

Subsequent visits arescheduled as needed with

either the assistant or the audiologistdepending upon how their previous visitwas categorized (Figure 2). Categories 1,2 and 4 assume that the fitting wasinitially successful and required repair ofthe device only. There is therefore lowrisk of a change in patient hearing, andsubsequent visits are scheduled with theaudiology assistant. In contrast,Categories 5, 6 and 7 visits ended withmodification to the gain/frequencyresponse of the hearing aid. Thissuggests that there may have been somechange in the patient. Therefore,

FIGURE 2 Guidelines for scheduling return appointments.

TABLE 1

37

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


subsequent visits for these categories are scheduled with theaudiologist for further evaluation. The final category for eachpatient visit is entered into the patient record and is easilyinterpreted by office personnel for appropriate scheduling ofreturn appointments (Figure 2).

PROTOCOL EVALUATIONOutcomes for hearing aid repairs were analyzed before and

after the implementation of the audiology assistant protocol inour Veterans Affairs clinic, which is staffed by five audiologistsand three audiology assistants. Hearing aid complaintsimmediately scheduled for the audiology assistants included“distortion,” “loud,” “feedback,” “damage,” “dead,” and“weak.” Prior to implementation of the protocol, hearing aidassessment by audiology assistants was limited to visual andlistening check, in-house repairs were unverified, and unlimitedchanges were made to gain frequency responses based on thesubjective complaint(s) from the patient. The audiologyassistants functioned autonomously, yet they had no means ofobjectively evaluating hearing aids before or after repair. Moreimportantly, there were no specific guidelines to indicate underwhich circumstances the audiometric assistant should consultthe audiologist.

Data were collected for 322 hearing aid complaints beforeimplementation of the protocol. The audiology assistants werethen trained on the above described audiology assistanthearing aid care protocol. The protocol was then implemented,and data were collected for 297 hearing aid complaints. A crosstabulation of problems and actions taken before and afterprotocol implementation is provided in Table 1.

The most common hearing aid complaint before (35%) andafter (31%) implementation of the protocol was that theamplified speech was “weak.” As a result of implementation ofthe protocol, manufacturer repairs increased, in-house repairsdecreased, changes to the gain/frequency response decreased,and audiologist consults increased for “weak” amplificationcomplaints. Our manufacturer repairs increased and in-houserepairs decreased because the protocol calls for verification ofin-house repairs. After implementation, more than half (52%) ofattempted in-house repairs for weak amplification complaintswere inadequate, and the hearing aids were sent in formanufacturer repair. This suggests that after implementation ofthe protocol required of the audiometric assistants, patients leftthe clinic with only those hearing aids that were verified as“functioning as programmed.” It also suggests that prior toimplementation of the protocol, patients left the clinic withsuboptimal outcomes.

Changes to the gain/frequency response decreased afterprotocol implementation because adjustments were made onlyto those hearing aids that were verified as “functioning asprogrammed.” Perhaps more important was the increase inaudiologist consults after implementation of the protocolsuggesting that assistants may have (1) missed changes inauditory thresholds and/or (2) attempted to resolve issuesbeyond an acceptable scope of practice.

CONCLUSION Private practice offices and VA clinical audiologists have been

able to provide more timely hearing care services to greater

numbers of patients through the use of audiology assistants.However, the lack of standard audiology assistant protocols mayallow audiology assistants to make flawed decisions and/ordecisions that should be made only by audiologists. This, inturn, may lead to poor audiologic outcomes and/or significantaudiological errors. Implementation of our audiology assistanthearing aid care protocol appeared to impact positiveoutcomes in our clinic. Further research is needed, however, toidentify protocol outcomes that represent either a reduction orincrease in medical errors. Subsequently, any finalized protocolshould be subjected to a cost-benefit analysis. Only then can weknow whether the use of audiology assistants is consistent withthe 2006 Academy position statement to “ensure both theaccessibility and the highest quality of audiology care whileaddressing productivity and cost-benefit concerns.”

REFERENCESAmerican Academy of Audiology. (1997) Position statement and guidelines of

the consensus panel on support personnel in audiology. Audiol Today 9(3):27–28.American Academy of Audiology. (2006) Position Statement: Audiologist’s

Assistant. Audiol Today 18(2): 27–28. American National Standards Institute. (1996) American National Standard

Specification of Hearing Aid Characteristics. ANSI S3.22-1996. New York:American National Standards Institute.

Dunlop R, Beck L, Dennis K, Gonzenbach S, Abrams H, Berardino J, Styer S,Hall A. (2006) Support personnel in VA audiology. Audiol Today 18(1):24–25.

Hamill T, Freeman B. (2006) Evaluation of the Nova Southeastern Universityaudiologist’s assistant training program. Audiol Today 18(1):28–30.

Kasewurm G. (2006) The positive impact of using audiologist's assistants.Audiol Today 18(1):26–27.

38

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF LASTYEAR’S SUPERTRACKS (focused subjectmatter mini-conferences withinAudiologyNOW!), five areas have beendesignated as SuperTracks: PracticeManagement, Geriatrics, Vestibular,Pediatrics and Implantables. Presentationsin the designated SuperTracks can be foundin all session types offered for CEUs(Learning Labs, Featured Sessions, LearningModules, Focus Groups, ResearchPodiums/Posters, Exhibitor Courses andCEU Theater). In addition, there will benumerous offerings in other essentialsubject areas such as professional issues,translational research, amplification andhearing loss prevention.

Attendees will not be at a loss to findsomething of interest across all days and inall time slots!• Practice Management—including but

not limited to coding andreimbursement, successful marketing,Medicare and Medicaid issues, BESTpractice management topics,advocacy, state leadership, purchasingor selling a practice.

• Geriatrics—including but not limited tothe study of aging, diagnostictechniques and procedures, preventionof age-related hearing loss, earlyintervention, effective treatment options(including hearing aids, implantables,hearing assistive technology), advocacyissues, research, counseling and(re)training programs as part oftreatment and other issues of particularinterest to our aging patients.

• Vestibular—including but not limited tostate-of-the-art evaluation anddiagnosis, vestibular rehabilitation,effective interdisciplinary programs,medical, pharmacological andpsychological influences, and clinicaland basic science research in all aspects

of vestibular function.

• Pediatrics—including but not limited tohearing loss prevention, newbornscreening and diagnostic follow-up,diagnostics, treatment options (hearingaids, implantables), children’s use ofhearing assistive technology, earlyintervention, research, genetics and

advocacy issues.

• Implantables (middle ear and CI)—including but not limited to effectivecandidacy evaluations, diagnostics,interdisciplinary programmatic issues,research into new techniques anddevices, clinical trials, counseling andshort and long term care.

• APRIL 2-5 • CHARLOTTE, NC

Itinerary Planner Personalize your experience at AudiologyNOW! by using the online Itinerary Planner. Explore sessions, researchexhibitors, and schedule meetings with other attendees. Print out, access on site or download it to your Outlook Calendar (Microsoft users). Go to audiologyNOW.org to plan your experience!

SuperTracks for AudiologyNOW!® 2008

Listing of Featured Sessions and Learning Labs by SuperTrack. Othercategories will be listed in ProgramNOW! and on audiologyNOW.org.

PEDIATRICSLEARNING LABSAudiologic Management of Infantsand Young ChildrenPatricia Roush, AuD; Craig Buchman, MD;John Grose, PhD; Holly Teagle, AuD;Jackson Roush, PhD; Thomas Page, MS

Clinical Electrophysiology of theBrainstem and CortexBarbara Cone-Wesson, PhD

FM Verification for the 21st Century:A Practical GuideLeisha Eiten, MA; Dawna E. Lewis, PhD

FEATURED SESSIONSAuditory Neuropathy/Dys-Synchronyin ChildrenCraig Buchman, MD; Patricia Roush, AuD

Auditory Neuropathy/Dys-Synchrony:Diagnosis and ManagementCharles Berlin, PhD; Linda J. Hood, PhD

(C)APD: The Role of InterhemisphericFunction over the Lifespan and inNeurological DiseaseFrank Musiek, PhD

Cortical Plasticity/Reorganization inHearing-Impaired ChildrenAnu Sharma, PhD

Diagnosis of (C)APD: Behavioral &Electrophysiologic MeasuresTeri James Bellis, PhD; Frank Musiek, PhD

Dynamic Brainstem: Impact onAuditory ProcessingNina Kraus, PhD

Evaluating Aided Infants with EvokedCortical PotentialsHarvey Dillon, PhD

Marion Downs Lecture in PediatricAudiology—Infant Hearing Loss:Silent Epidemic of DevelopingCountriesDaniel Christaan De Wet Swanepoel, PhDThis lecture is annually funded by the AAAF witha grant from the Oticon Foundation.

Objective Assessment of InfantHearing: ABRs, ASSRs & LAEPsTerence W. Picton, PhD

Pediatric Grand Rounds with a Twist—Educational SignificanceYvonne Sininger, PhD; Mona Dworsack,AuD; Marilyn Neault, PhD; DeborahHayes, PhD; Patricia Roush, AuD; JaneR. Madell, PhD; Donna Smiley, PhD Session made possible by funding from theEducational Audiology Association

GERIATRICSLEARNING LABCoupler and Real-Ear Verification ofHearing AidsMichael Valente, PhD; Elizabeth Baum,AuD student

FEATURED SESSIONS(C)APD: The Role of InterhemisphericFunction over the Lifespan and inNeurological DiseaseFrank Musiek, PhD

Continued on next page

39

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1



“Normal” and Impaired Hearing andCognition in Older AdultsKathy Pichora-Fuller, PhD

Support Programs for Older Adultswith Hearing LossPatricia Kricos, PhD

Controversies in Cochlear ImplantationCraig A. Buchman, MD; Holly F.B. Teagle,AuD

Cortical Plasticity/Reorganization inHearing-Impaired ChildrenAnu Sharma, PhD

Fitting and Verification Procedures forBahaWilliam Hodgetts, PhD

New Developments in Middle EarImplant Technology: A PanelDiscussionMarshall Chasin, AuD; Mark C Flynn, PhD;Jim Kasic, MSc; Rong Gan, PhD; KristinAvitabile, MS

PRACTICE MANAGEMENTLEARNING LABRUC and Roll!—Reimbursement, theLaws and the Valuation Process Debra Abel, AuD; Kadyn Williams, AuD;Robert Fifer, PhD, HCPAC representative;and Susan Clark, American MedicalAssociation

FEATURED SESSIONSFundamental Considerations for Starting

a Private PracticeDebra Abel, AuD; Kimberly Cavitt, AuD

LIMIT: Risk Management in theAudiology PracticeShari Pataky

Positioning Your Practice for Maximum ValueRonald Gleitman, PhD; Kathy Foltner, AuD;Tomi Thibodeaux Browne, AuD

Twelve (at Least!) Ways to Grow YourBusiness or OrganizationGyl Kasewurm, AuD; Sallie K. Jessee, AuD

VESTIBULARLEARNING LABSBPPV Diagnosis and Treatment: 2008Clinical UpdateRichard Gans, PhD; Richard Roberts, PhD

Vestibular Assessment: Choosing theBest Test from a Myriad of ChoicesChristopher Zalewski, MA; Holly Burrows,AuD; Robin Pinto, AuD

What You Didn’t Learn in School:Assembling the Vestibular Test PuzzleGary Jacobson, PhD; Devin McCaslin, PhD

FEATURED SESSIONSIntroduction to the Fundamentals ofVNG/ENGKamran Barin, PhD

Migraine: Diagnostic andNeuropharmacological ConsiderationsRichard Gans, PhD; Alec Lapira, MD, AuD

Sign Up for Learning Labs! Learning Labs offer an in-depth discussion of a particular topic and are offered on thefirst day of AudiologyNOW!, Wednesday, April 2AM HALF DAY8:00am–11:45am LL602 Coupler and Real Ear Verification of Hearing Aids8:00am–11:45am LL603 FM Verification for the 21st Century: A Practical Guide8:00am–11:45am LL604 Multidisciplinary Treatment for Patients with Tinnitus8:00am–11:45am LL201 Traumatic Brain Injury in Combat Operations8:00am–11:45am LL102 Vestibular Assessment: Choosing the Best Test

from a Myriad of ChoicesPM HALF DAY12:45pm–4:30pm LL101 Audiologic Management of Infants and Young Children12:45pm–4:30pm LL601 BPPV Diagnosis and Treatment: 2008 Clinical Update12:45pm–4:30pm LL401 Clinical Electrophysiology of the Brainstem and Cortex12:45pm–4:30pm LL402 What You Didn’t Learn in School: Assembling the

Vestibular Test PuzzleFULL DAY8:00am–4:30pm LL301 Hearing Loss Prevention: Professional

Supervision of Audiometry8:00am–4:30pm LL501 RUC & Roll—Reimbursement, the Laws and the

Valuation Process8:00am–4:30pm LL605 Pharmacology: From the Lab to the Clinic and the Internet

Go to audiologyNOW.org to register!

Office PersonnelRegister your front office personnelfor AudiologyNOW! at a reducedfee. Also included in the OfficePersonnel package price is a ticket toattend the Learning Lab “RUC andRoll!—Reimbursement, the Laws andthe Valuation Process,” access to alleducational sessions, AudiologySolutions and box lunches.

All four days (includes Learning Lab)Must provide business card or letterverifying employment $305

Learning LabsFull DayMember $185Nonmember $245Student $145Half DayMember $100Nonmember $130Student $80

Featured Sessions and Learning Labs by SuperTrack continued

VEMP: Current Clinical Applicationsand Research UpdatesR. Steve Ackley, PhD; Chizuko Tamaki, AuD,PhD; Jamie Moushey, AuD; Kenneth Henry,PhD

Vestibular and Balance Clinic GrandRoundsDavid Zapala, PhD; Faith Akin, PhD;Gary Jacobson, PhD; Holly Burrows,AuD; Jamie Moushey, AuD

Register NOW& Save!

Register before March 20 to saveJust click, fax or mail!• Online: audiologyNOW.org• Fax: 301.694.5124 (US/Canada)• Mail: American Academy ofAudiologyP.O. Box 4088Frederick, MD 21705-4088(Forms can be downloaded ataudiologyNOW.org)

Attendee Registration FeesMember $470Member, International $420Nonmember $700Student Member $205 Student Nonmember $305One Day (includes exhibits) $305 Exposition Only $360Life Members $325Spouse/Guest $215

40

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008



Research Friday!Research Pods have been grouped together so researchers can get three consecutivehours of the latest cutting-edge research in audiology. At the conclusion of the ResearchPods the attendees can then flow directly into the Research Poster area and partake ofthe Research Poster Presentations and Reception.Go to audiologyNOW.org for more information. Abstracts for accepted Research Podsand Posters will be available online starting January 15, 2008.

Launching Your Research Career Trajectory through the NIDCD3:30–4:30pm, Thursday, April 3The goals of this presentation are to demystify the process of obtaining researchand research training grant funding from the National Institute on Deafness andOther Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health and provideguidance in: (1) navigating the Extramural NIH funding system; (2) identifying theappropriate grant mechanisms for audiologists at the training and new facultycareer stages; and (3) crafting a competitive grant application. Presenters: Daniel A.Sklare, PhD, NIH/NIDCD; Linda J. Hood, PhD, Vanderbilt University

Audiology SolutionsAUDIOLOGY SOLUTIONS OFFERS…a placeto make face-to-face contact and learn aboutnew developments in hearing health careproducts and services from more than 200exhibitors. Make plans to attend freepresentations in the CEU Theater, or stop bythe New Product Showcase to see what’s newand improved in hearing products.

HoursThursday, April 3: 12:00pm–6:00pmFriday, April 4: 9:00am–5:00pmSaturday, April 5: 9:00am–2:00pm

New Product ShowcaseCome see the NEWEST in hearing aidtechnology. The New Product Showcase isyour first look at the new and exciting optionsavailable from manufacturers.

CEU TheaterStop by the CEU Theater at booth #2192 inAudiology Solutions to learn about newproducts, services and the latest technologyand product advancements available to you.Exhibitors: Contact Meggan Olek([email protected]). Attendees: Sessionswill be posted online at audiologyNOW.org.

Independent Satellite Events8:00am–6:00pm, Wednesday, April 2Association of VA Audiologists (AVAA) Annual Meeting andReceptionThe Association of VA Audiologists (AVAA) is pleased to announce its eighthAnnual Meeting in conjunction with AudiologyNOW! 2008. We look forwardto another outstanding meeting including continuing education offerings,presentations from VA and national organization leaders and time to networkwith your colleagues from around the country. Please make plans to join us.For more information, e-mail Charles Martinez, [email protected].

8:00am–5:00pmNational Association of Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA)The National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology (NAFDA) will holdits eighth Annual Convention in conjunction with AudiologyNOW! 2008.NAFDA welcomes Doctor of Audiology (AuD) and research PhD students. All NAFDA Convention attendees are also welcome to join NAFDA at itsbusiness meeting on Thursday, April 3, to hear enthusiastic speakers discussthe promising future of NAFDA and Audiology. For more information, visitwww.nafda.org. (NAFDA Convention registration is separate fromAudiologyNOW! registration.)

5:00pm–9:00pmNational Association of Special Equipment Distributors (NASED)NASED holds its annual meeting on the eve before the opening ofAudiology Solutions. Attended by the country’s hearing and balancehealth care equipment distributor members, as well as many of theprinciple equipment manufacturers, this reception’s highlight is thepresentation of NASED’s annual Lifetime Achievement Award. ContactNASED for more information: Julie Renshaw, [email protected].

Don’t forget to registerfor the exciting

20th Anniversary eventssuch as the “Bike through

North Carolina” Tour,“HEAR TO PLAY” Golf

Tournament, andFounders Luncheon. Lookfor more information at

audiologyNOW.org.

41

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


As far names go, the “Employment ServiceCenter” (or ESC for those of us who tire of writingthis long title) doesn’t really have much zing factor.It doesn’t rhyme or have the word “extreme” in it,but there is a good reason for this. The nameEmployment Service Center simply describes whatthis area of AudiologyNOW! provides. It is betterthan “Centralized location of services for bothemployers and job seekers utilized for seekingpersonnel or obtaining and maintainingemployment.” And it fits nicer on a banner.

If you need to post or find a job in the field ofaudiology, view or post resumes, or conductinterviews, this is where you go. If you need adviceabout audiology in general, we have you covered,anywhere along the employment spectrum, fromwhat kind of audiologist you want to be to gettingthe job. Whether seeking employment as anaudiologist or looking to hire—we have a servicefor you. The ESC consists of six interview rooms, atheater space and a job board area. This year, theESC will be located right next to registration.

Employers who post jobs on the HEARCareersWeb site (provided that they flag their job with an

AudiologyNOW! logo to show they will beattending) will have the ability to set up

interviews with interested jobseekers before theyget to Charlotte. When an employer registers as anattendee and marks the available position with anAudiologyNOW! logo, the employer will

automatically have an internal scheduling andmessaging system built into their HEARCareersaccount. Instructions for using this system areavailable on the HEARCareers homepage. On-siteinterview room reservations are accepted at nocharge for employers who have posted theirposition on HEARCareers. If you have not posted aposition but would still like to reserve a room, therewill be a fee for the space. Space is limited so weencourage you to secure firm appointments withcandidates before you arrive.

The ESC also includes a theater space whereinformative classes will be given to assist boththose looking for employment and those looking toemploy. Our latest crop of presenters will bebringing decades of experience to this year’s courseschedule. Let the expertise of your colleagues workfor you; it could be the difference between gettingthe job and almost getting the job. Make sure youreserve time in your schedule to drop by. Checkwww.audiologynow.org under the EmploymentService Center section for more in-depthinformation on available classes.

On Saturday the ESC Theater will hostthe “Last Chance Mixer” for employersand job seekers. Upon arrival, employersand job seekers will be given color-codednametags to designate them as anemployer or a job seeker. Next, they willwrite the position they are looking for and

the state in which they are offering employment orwish to be employed. Find someone with theopposite color but the same information as your tagand, voile!, a potential match. AudiologyNOW! hasbrought you to the same state, the same building,and the same room as your potential employer oremployee … now you take it from there. Meetingtimes will be determined by region of the country.Check www.audiologynow .org for a final scheduleof times.

Finally, there will be a job board area wherethose looking for work can leisurely browsethrough available openings. Jobs posted byemployers who are attending AudiologyNOW! willbe marked accordingly to increase a jobs seeker’schance of having a face-to-face meeting. Computerstations will be available so employers and jobseekers can post jobs or resumes while atAudiologyNOW!

The name may not sound fancy, but we are nothere to be fancy, we are here to help guide youdown the path of a rewarding career in audiology.

The Employment Service Center: What’s in a Name?


When I was asked to chair theEmployment Service Center, my initialresponse was, “Who, me?” Though I haveworked for my entire adult life, I knew littleabout the employment process. My lastinterview was so long ago, I forgot what itwas like. One thing I always remembered,however, was the impact of advice fromsomeone whose name I recognized, whetherit was the author of a book, a member of aboard, or the head of a practice. And so, as Ipondered putting together a committee, Iwondered from whom I would like to hearinformation about employment and what Iwould like to learn.

So that became my quest. First I had toask a few individuals to help me out. Luckily,my requests were answered affirmatively.Kris English said she would love to talkabout paths for audiologists and preparingfor that journey into the field of audiology.Bettie Champion-Borton quickly respondedthat she teaches her students about theimportant must-do’s and must-not-do’s

during interviews and would also love toshare. And Pat Kricos wants to help all of usto interview the interviewer!

Speaking of paths for audiologists, Icould not help but reflect on the variousjobs my friends have. Some of us are privatepractice audiologists, some teach, somework with children or infants, some work inmedical centers, some for the VA. When Ilook back on how I came to work where Idid, it was just plain old potluck. And whileluck can always play a part, with all of theemployment options audiologists havetoday, we can also aim for the role we enjoythe most. Knowing this, some of mycontacts volunteered to conduct adiscussion group on possible career pathsfor audiologists. Pat Kricos will talk aboutworking in gerontology, Joscelyn Martinabout working in a large multispecialtymedical center, Jim Beauchamp aboutworking in a school setting and BruceEdwards about working in the operatingroom of a teaching hospital. Kim Barry will

talk about working in the VA, and Erin Miller,Kris English and Bettie Borton aboutworking for universities. Cindy Simon willrepresent private practice, as will I. BarbaraKurman will talk about working on the otherside of audiology, the equipment vendorside, and about opportunities inmanufacturing.

To round out our presentations this year,we will have one session in which generalprofessional issues will be discussed. It isalways important to consider licensing,certification and malpractice when planninga career. Don Vogel, Bruce Edwards,Joscelyn Martin and Cindy Simon will hostthis session. Lastly, Erin Miller is planningan interesting session on ethical choices andcontract negotiation.

It promises to be an exciting year at theEmployment Service Center, and we hope tosee you all there! Check out the EmploymentService Center page atwww.audiologynow.org for more information.

The Employment Service Center Theater Melanie Herzfeld

VISIT

HEARCareersTODAY:

http://www.audiology.org/membership/careers/

42

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


MY CITY, MY EXPERIENCE


Tracy Swanson, AuD, Chair of the Community Support Subcommittee and Charlotte Resident!

Welcome to Charlotte. With the excitement of a cosmopolitancity and the ease of Southern charm,Charlotte presents a unique atmospherewhere big city style meets down-homeappeal. More than just the nation’ssecond largest financial center, theQueen City’s changing face will surpriseyou. As a magnet for progressivegrowth and smart development, the city finds itself welcoming more andmore new faces—both visitors andresidents alike.

More than 55% of the country’spopulation lives within a two-hourflight of Charlotte/DouglasInternational Airport, the national hubof US Airways. On average, more than500 flights arrive and depart daily. Thisis more flights per capita than anyother airport in the nation.

The LYNX Blue Line is the Charlotteregion’s first light rail service! It is 9.6miles long and operates from I-485 atSouth Boulevard to Uptown Charlotte.Twelve express routes provide quicktransportation—with minimal stops—

from the suburbs to the uptown area.The Gold Rush rubber-wheeled trolleyservice, also operated by CATS, offerstwo circulating lines in Center City.These minibuses resemble historicstreetcars and provide routes that runup and down Tryon Street and westalong Trade Street through the historicFourth Ward. The Gold Rush trolleysstop at marked bus stops every sevenminutes from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Charlotte attractions like the U.S.National Whitewater Center and theBilly Graham Library are truly one of akind. Family-friendly destinations likeDiscovery Place and ImaginOn are sureto excite. See how Charlotte’s

attractions can enrichyour visit. Charlotte ishome to some of thenation’s foremostmuseums andgalleries. The MintMuseum of Art andMint Museum of Craft+ Design guidevisitors through ever-changing exhibitsfeaturing some of the world’s finestcollections. The Levine Museum of theNew South exhibits some of the mostfascinating collections of post–CivilWar Southern history including itsaward-winning centerpiece exhibit,“Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers.” One of

the top hands-onscience museums inthe nation,Discovery Placeprovides ever-changing,entertainingfacilities that fosterexperiences in areasthat range from lifescience to spaceexploration. Morethan a half-millionpeople from all overthe United States visit Discovery Place,its IMAX Dome Theatre and theCharlotte Nature Museum each year.

“Charlotte in thespring is just so

beautiful.EVERYONE must come!”

“I love going uptownon a Friday or

Saturday night. It’sfun to walk around,

look up at thebuildings and go to

some of the localbars and pubs.

Uptown is clean,safe and very

beautiful at night.”

43

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1



Beyond the skylineof the nation’ssecond-leadingfinancial center lieCharlotte’s historicaland visually stunningneighborhoods. Strollthrough Charlotte’smost diversestreetcar-eraneighborhoods,where buildings rangefrom vintage factoriesto grand Southernestates. Take in turn-of-the-centuryarchitecture andtraditional idyllicthoroughfares withboutiques andrestaurants scatteredalong tree-lined streets.

One of Charlotte’sstreetcar-era suburbs,the captivatingneighborhood ofDilworth is, as SouthernLiving puts it, “thepicture of vitality.”Bungalow-style homes,oak-shaded sidewalks,and a traditionalneighborhood feelcharacterize thispopular area. Up and down Dilworth’smain thoroughfare, East Boulevard,visitors can stumble on hip eateries,

trendy boutiques, corner cafes andmore.

Myers Park, an area with oldSouthern estates and streets lined withtowering oaks, is known by Charlotteansas one of the city’s most prestigiousaddresses. Nestled amongst thewinding, shady streets is the not-to-be-missed Mint Museum of Art. Andtucked between a stretch ofbreathtaking residences is the DukeMansion, the former home of DukeUniversity founder James Buchanan

Duke, which is now abed and breakfast.Dilworth’s neighbor,South End, is just atrolley stop away fromCenter City and pairsan assorted mix of

restaurants,antique shops,and retail with arelaxedatmosphere.Fine local andregionalperforming andvisual artistshost a bevy oflive music,monthly gallerycrawl events,and festivalslike the “Art and Soul of South End.”NoDa is Charlotte’s historic “artsdistrict” located on North Davidson, justnorth of Center City. After the closing ofthe area’s last mill, NoDa began a

renaissance of sorts in the 1980s thatdrew young artists into the area whohad a vision of developing a new artcommunity for Charlotte residents.Today, NoDa is home to a funkycollection of galleries, performancevenues and dining hotspots. Also, be

sure to check out the South Park,Plaza-Midwood, Ballantyne, andUniversity neighborhoods.

Don’t forget about the food.With a little help from dynamicchefs, invigorating restaurantconcepts, and the addition of theculinary leader Johnson & WalesUniversity, Charlotte’s cuisine and

restaurant scene are earning a spoton the map. Named one of the“Top 50 Cities That Sizzle” byRestaurant News Magazine,Charlotte’s culinary delights areseemingly endless. So prepareyour taste buds for savory eats thatrange from Southern fried chickento Spanish small plates. Even as

Charlotte dining options continue tomultiply throughout growing Charlotte,know that your meal will always beserved with the grace and charm thatcharacterizes this fair city. Charlotte

Charlotte is an experience to be savored, and

AudiologyNOW! 2008 is the perfect occasion to

indulge yourself.

“The city streetsare beautiful inthe spring with

the trees andflowers inbloom!!!”

“And shopping—there is plenty of

shopping inCharlotte!”

“Charlotte hasa beautiful

skyline”

44

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008



DIAMOND BOOTH #Oticon, Inc.* 1211Phonak* 1843Siemens Hearing Instruments* 1825Starkey* 901Widex Hearing Aid Co. Inc.* 1813

SAPPHIREGN ReSound * 605

PLATINUMWilliams Sound Corporation 1968

GOLDSONIC innovations 213

BRONZEAllyn & Bacon 736Etymotic Research, Inc. 1733Knowles Electronics 2164Newport Audiology Centers 825

COPPERArmy Medical Recruiting 2128

(NAS Recruitment Communications)CareCredit 1983Discovery Hearing Aid Warranties & Repair 1324

Thank You AudiologyNOW! is made possible bysponsors, exhibitors and, you, the attendee!

Sponsors as ofDecember 20, 2007

* A special thank you to our Title Partners for their support ofCelebrate Audiology, which will take place at the US NationalWhitewater Center on April 3, 7:00-10:00 pm.

45

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


Internet sale of hearing aids has beena topic of lively discussion for sometime. A common theme in oppositionto the practice is that fitting of hearingaids goes far beyond the product andincludes professional identification anddiagnosis of the hearing loss, andcareful fitting, verification, validationand rehabilitative services leading to asuccessful outcome. The primaryargument in favor of the practice ofInternet or mail-order hearing aids isthat these product-only deliverysystems make hearing aids affordableto many who would otherwise gowithout. The reflexive response ofmost audiologists is that Internet andmail-order delivery systems are notgood for the consumer because thenecessary service component isdeemphasized.

The discussion can be furtherconfounded by the topic of bundlingproduct and services in the retailpricing of hearing aids. The commonsystem of hearing aid pricing wasinherited from traditional hearing aiddealers, and offered product and fittingservices included in one price. Theargument against this practice ofbundling service and product togetheris that it has the effect ofoveremphasizing the product, anddiminishing the value of the servicesnecessary for fitting and rehabilitation.In effect, the practice of charging thesame price to all consumers, notknowing who will require little serviceand who will require an extensive

amount of time and service, can beargued to be inherently unfair to thosewho do not need extra time, and a freeride for those who do. Conventionalwisdom argues that unbundling is a fairand proper way to offer hearing aidsand services to the public, althoughthe majority of us have not been ableto figure out a way to do it in a mannerthat attracts a favorable response fromthe general public.

Looking at both issues could leadone to conclude that Internet and mail-order sales may be viewed as methodsto facilitate an unbundled model ofservice. The consumer may purchasethe products needed from a retaileranywhere, and pay for local service asneeded. Unfortunately, it has notworked out that way so far. Either theconsumer is left to find their ownservices, or the Internet source offerslocal providers a severely discountedfitting and service fee. Either way, theconsumer is left without advice andexpertise, or they go to someone whois willing to take the low bid and whohas little invested in the success of thepatient. The end result is that a non-service provider is being compensatedfor diluting the importance and valueof professional services.

Hearing aid manufacturers startedweighing in on the issue last year.Starkey Labs issued a “ConsumerAlert” in June of 2007, and their Web

site states that they do not sell directlyto Internet retailers because they donot believe that the consumer can beprovided with the necessary highquality professional services needed.

Similarly, in August of 2007, Widexpublished a “Consumer Notice” ontheir Widex USA Web siterecommending that consumers notpurchase hearing instruments fromInternet retailers but seek the adviceand full range of services from a Widexauthorized professional. EffectiveNovember 9, 2007, Oticon, Inc.followed suit with detailed guidelinesoffering their products only throughdistributors that meet certain quality ofservice standards and provide hearingaids only through “face-to-face” in-person consultations. These threemanufacturers are following the spiritof a guideline and report on theselection and fitting of hearing aids,published by the American Academy ofAudiology (2000; Chisholm et al, 2007),that support the contention thatsuccessful hearing aid use is predicatedon careful counseling, followed by

To view the Academytask force report onhealth-related qualityof life benefits ofamplification in adults, go to www.audiology.org/publications/jaaa/2007.htm.

ViewpointDennis Van Vliet, AuD

Service and Product Delivery Systems:Time to Take a Stand?

Dennis Van Vliet, Vice President of Professional Services, HearUSA

selection, fitting, verification, and validation of the fitting—activities that can best be accomplished through the directdiagnosis and treatment by a licensed audiologist.

Recognizing that new methods and ideas are emerging,the Academy has charged past president David Fabry tochair a task force and develop a position statement on theprovision of hearing aids. Included in the charges to thistask force are these: develop recommendations toseparate audiologic diagnostic and treatment servicesfrom device provision, tie recommendations to the taskforce report cited above, examine the ethics inherent invarious delivery models, and discuss the “value added” byhaving audiologists, as opposed to nonaudiologists,provide related services. It is time for the profession totake a very clear stand and agree on a best practicesmodel for hearing aid delivery that is in the best interestof the patient and allows the skills offered by theaudiologist to be valued and recognized.

REFERENCESAmerican Academy of Audiology. (2000) Pre-purchase assessment guideline

for amplification devices. Audiol Today 12(3):39.Chisholm et al. (2007) A systematic review of health-related quality of life

and hearing aids: final report of the American Academy of Audiologytask force on the health-related quality of life benefits of amplification inadults. J Am Acad Audiol 18(2):151–183.

The opinions expressed in this Viewpoint are those of theauthor and in no way should be construed as official policyof the American Academy of Audiology.

46

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


ARTICLESThe Effects of Monotic and DichoticInterference Tones on 40 HzAuditory Steady-State Responsesin Normal Hearing AdultsShaum P. Bhagat

Multivariate Predictors of MusicPerception and Appraisal by AdultCochlear Implant UsersKate Gfeller, Jacob Oleson, John F.Knutson, Patrick Breheny, VirginiaDriscoll, and Carol Olszewski

Reception Thresholds forSentences in Quiet, ContinuousNoise, and Interrupted Noise inSchool-Age ChildrenAndrew Stuart

Effects of Expansion Algorithms onSpeech Reception ThresholdsChristi L. Wise and Justin A. Zakis

User Preference and Reliability ofBilateral Hearing Aid GainAdjustmentsBenjamin W.Y. Hornsby, H. GustavMueller

Hearing and Balance Screening andReferrals for Medicare Patients: ANational Survey of Primary CarePhysiciansCarole E. Johnson, Jeffrey L.Danhauer, Lindsey Latiolais Koch,Kristina E. Celani, Ilian PriscillaLopez, and Victoria A. Williams

Coming Soon in JAAA Vol 19, No 1, Jan/Feb 2008

VIE

WP

OIN

T—

Servic

e &

Deliv

ery

Registry of Clinical Externship Sites

The Registry of Clinical Externship Sites is aweb-based resource that describes over 100externship sites. Universities, students andclinical sites have FREE access! Those who elect to be listed agree to abide by the clinicaleducation guidelines set forth by the Academy.

SITE REGISTRY GOALS:• To facilitate communication between

universities & clinical sites• To identify high-quality externship

experiences

CLINICAL SITES:Participate in AuD Clinical Education by joiningthe registry

STUDENTS/UNIVERSITIES:View a detailed description of a clinical site

www.audiology.org/academiaresearch/academia/registry

Questions? [email protected]

47

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


Y ou know who you are, and there are plenty of you out there.

You entered this field of audiologyback in the 1960s and 70s, and youofficially qualify for the designation“baby boomer.” You’re in your 50s or60s now, and you’ve “been around theblock” more than a few times in yourlife. Your career of helping people withhearing loss is probably at least 75%over by now, and those thoughts oflow stress retirement are becomingmore and more commonplace. Youmight catch yourself daydreamingabout a time when you don’t have tosay a single spondee or remove anycerumen; no one asks you to adjusttheir hearing aid so they can hearbetter in the noisy restaurant or says “Ido hear better, but can you…..?”; andthe sentence “If everyone talked likeyou I wouldn’t need hearing aids”never comes up in conversation.

When you look back over your last20–30 years in working with hearingaids, you are amazed at the changesthat have occurred. It seems like it wasjust yesterday that you used your littlescrewdriver to adjust trimmers and didnot need glasses to do it. First therewas the low-cut pot and outputcontrol. Then came the high-cut pot or“feedback control” (Gus Mueller calledit the “speech intelligibility reductionpot”). I remember being very excitedwhen the “active tone controls”appeared … you could get an unheardof 20–25 dB change in gain at 500 Hzwith a simple 270 degree rotation with

your screwdriver! We lived through fads like

“automatic noise reduction” (for youyoungsters out there, it was just anautomatic low cut), which someadvertising told us would “eliminatebackground noise.” Remember themarketing graphic showing speechand noise going in one side of the“filter” and speech coming out theother? Those of us who came throughthat era will always have a healthyskepticism of the marketingdepartments. And who can forget thestock in-the-ear hearing aids thatsnapped into the half earmold shell?It’s a colorful and interesting history.

When the leading edge of theboomers started in this field, there wasno such thing as a PC, NOAH, orHiPro. Tympanometry, the auditorybrainstem response, and cochlearimplants were primitive techniques inresearch labs or in early development,and otoacoustic emissions wereunheard of (pun intended). So we haveseen incredible changes in our field,mostly good ones. For years wedreamed about having more flexibilityin adjusting the parameters of hearingaid amplifiers. With the developmentof programmability in hearing aids, wehave much more control now over theamplified signal our hearing aidpatients receive. The tools available tous to control and manipulate amplified

sound continue to multiply. So whilewe may not have enormous personalphysical flexibility these days, we suredo have flexible hearing aid circuitry.That’s not to say that we always knowwhat to do with all that flexibility, butwe got it. With age of course comeswisdom, and living through many ofthese developments we have learnedthat the advances we hoped forhaven’t necessarily solved all theproblems we thought they would.

I hope you boomers out therereading this are now nodding yourhead and saying, “I’ve been thereand it has been quite a ride.” Youyoungsters, if you’re still reading atthis point, may be saying, “Anothergeriatric audiologist reminiscingabout the old days.” That’s true, butthere are lessons to be learned fromyour “forefathers.” Some of usboomers may not have noticed, butwe are entering that geriatric periodand are starting to look and act moreand more like our typical patients.The good part is that a bit of grayhair and a confident manner broughtabout by years of experience makesus very effective in getting patientsto follow our recommendations. Onthe other hand, if we are truthful, wehave to acknowledge that a numberof the following things might nowapply to us:

ViewpointDavid B. Hawkins, PhD

The “Boomer” Audiologist:With Age Comes Wisdom

David B. Hawkins, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL

48 2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y • A M E R I C A N A C A D E M Y O F A U D I O L O G Y

• It is sort of fun to talk about howdifferent things used to be whenyou were coming along

• Loud, noisy restaurants are notappealing

• Bifocals or reading glasses surecome in handy

• If you’re not coloring it, there’ssome gray somewhere

• You kind of like watching Jeopardy• Your memory just isn’t quite as

sharp as it used to be; you write itdown if you really want toremember it

• Driving at night seems moredifficult

• You sure are stiff when you climbout of bed in the morning

• You wonder why they don’t makeany good sitcoms like M*A*S*Hanymore

• Talking about your children orgrandchildren is fun

• Talking about your ailments,medications and surgeries may notbe fun, but you sure find yourselfdoing it

• A nice, quiet evening at home isquite enjoyable

• It’s getting hard to keep up with all the new technology that iscoming out

Yes, fellow boomers, as we age,not only do we “become our parents”but, as audiologists, we are becomingmore and more like our patients, bothin our hearing and in our lifestyles.Many of us have spent our careerswith a primarily elderly population.Having spent so many of my wakinghours with the elderly in my 33-yearcareer as an audiologist, I’m verycomfortable around this group. WhenI tell my golfing buddies that I caneasily carry on a long and interestingconversation with an 88-year-old

woman, they look at me in disbelief.The bottom line: time in practice

gives us valuable experience thatallows us to become better andmore effective audiologists. At thesame time, we should recognize thatwe have unknowingly beenpreparing ourselves quite well forthis “next phase” of our life. Fromyears of interacting with our elderlypatients, we know a lot about whatour future may be like, both thegood and the difficult. Hopefully wewill deal with it all gracefully,realistically and with good humor,and will be one of those patientswho says “I don’t care what it lookslike, I just want to hear better.”

The opinions expressed in thisViewpoint are those of the author andin no way should be construed asofficial policy of the AmericanAcademy of Audiology.

VIE

WP

OIN

T—

BO

OM

ER

S

There is now available for peer review a document entitled:

“Clinical Practice Guidelines: Remote Microphone HearingAssistance Technologies for Children and Youth (Birth to 21 Years)” (also including “Supplement A”)

The document draft can be found at: http://www.audiology.org/publications/documents/positions/ and isavailable for member review and comments until February 15, 2008. Hard copies are available uponrequest at [email protected] or 703-226-1033. Member comments and responses regarding thedraft document may be submitted to Pat Kricos, Strategic Documents Chair, [email protected] or352.392.2113.

Clinical Practice Guidelines Open for Review

50

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


Gyl A. Kasewurm, AuD, is the owner and President of Professional Hearing Services in St Joseph, MI

BESTBEST Practice ManagementA new year is a time for reviewing the past and

projecting the future. These reflections help guide our course for the coming year. As we reflect,

shouldn’t the goal be to make 2008 the BEST year of ourlives? Regardless of whether we own or work in anaudiology practice, statistics and market research suggestthat audiologists are faced with incredible opportunity. Thequestion is how to achieve our potential.

The first step is to love our patients, and success is sure tofollow. We must realize that when working with patients,listening carefully is often more powerful than saying a lot.When we embrace the person in front of us and show themwe care about more than their hearing, we begin to forge arelationship that can last a lifetime. Making patients feellike a part of a family will go a long way toward creatingpatients for life. In short, we should do everything we canto make patients feel special, like part of a family.

According to industry sources, the average audiologistconvinces less than half of the patients who need hearingaids to purchase them. As professionals, we certainly don’twant to employ high pressure sales tactics to convincepatients, but we can be better prepared to overcome thecommon objections that patients present us with every day.One of the ways to convince patients is to demonstratenew technology and to let them hear what they aremissing. While we would like to believe that patients willjust take our word for granted, most patients wantaudiologists to show them why they should do somethingabout their hearing problems. Just imagine how our marketwould grow if we did a better job of convincing patientsthat they needed to do something about their hearing loss.Now that’s an opportunity!

The Academy code of ethics states: Members shall provideprofessional services and conduct research with honestyand compassion, and shall respect the dignity, worth, andrights of those served. To be the best audiologist we canbe means that we must truly believe in the services andproducts that we provide and be prepared to work longhours to get others to believe in them, too. If we aren’t

100% convinced of the benefits of the services andproducts we offer to patients, our patients won’t believe inthem either.

Since there seems to be an increasing shortage ofaudiologists, we must learn how to delegate. The advent ofthe AuD degree makes it more important than ever foraudiologists to be aware that most other medical and alliedhealth professions already have well-developed technicianpositions. Physicians, nurses, optometrists, physicaltherapists, occupational therapists, dentists, andveterinarians all routinely employ trained technicians.Moreover, a review of audiology practice today shows thattechnicians are being used successfully in a variety ofpractice settings, including the military, the VA, educationalinstitutions, hospitals, industrial settings, and privatepractices. When such minor but time-consuming tasks asanalyzing hearing aids, cleaning hearing aids,troubleshooting equipment, and completing paperwork areremoved from an audiologist’s workload, it frees more timefor the work that our professional education has preparedus to do such as patient and family counseling,rehabilitative therapy, diagnostic procedures, supervisingand teaching students and much needed research.

Finally, if we want to give our best to patients, we have tobe at our best. Our society is driven by the thought that abusy person is a successful person. A book entitled TheWealthy Spirit by Chellie Campbell asks, “When did humanbeings become human doings?” We need to allowourselves time to enjoy life and the fruits of our many yearsof education and hours of hard work. Time off and havingfun is like putting gas in a tank. Everyone needs fuel torecharge their batteries. When we allow ourselves time todo the things we love to do, the world will look brighter inthe morning.

Make 2008 the BEST year of your life professionally andpersonally, and of course, if you are looking for the BESTtools for managing an audiology practice, go to the BESTsection of the Academy Web site at www.audiology.org.

2008: Make It the BEST Year of Our Lives!

Gyl Kasewurm, AuD, Chair,

Business Enhancement Strategiesand Techniques (BEST) Committee

52

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


Deals on HEARCareers Job Postings at AudiologyNOW!:

PAY FOR 30 – GET 90!For employers attending AudiologyNOW! 2008, the employment services provided onthe Academy’s job and resume posting Web site, HEARCareers, will be made evenmore valuable. For attendees of AudiologyNOW!, up to 60 FREE days of Web visibilitywill be added to HEARCareers job postings! Starting January 2, 2008, a 30-day CareerFair job posting will remain on the Web site until the end of AudiologyNOW!, or the full30 days of the posting, whichever is longer. With this deal, an employer has the abilityto get up to 90 days of exposure for the price of a 30-day post. In order to participate,employers must simply register as attendees by flagging their job postings with an

AudiologyNOW! logo. This logo will appear next to both job seekers andemployers who register as attendees. Look for this symbol to determine who will

be at AudiologyNOW!

Once a job has been flagged with an AudiologyNOW! logo to distinguish the employeras an attendee, the employer will be given access to the HEARCareers onlinemessaging and scheduling system.Using this system, interviews withattending job seekers can be setup months before the start ofAudiologyNOW! The EmploymentService Center interview roomswill be located next to theregistration area in concourse C ofthe Charlotte Convention Center.

VISIT

HEARCareersTODAY:

http://www.audiology.org/membership/careers/

TO DO list:

Renew Academy membership ASAP!

Go online to:

www.audiology.org/membership/memberrenewal/

for directions.

If I have questions, I can contact Erin Quinn:

[email protected]

or

1-800-222-2336 ext 1051

Membership Has Its Privileges!

®

54

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


News & AnnouncementsJolene Mancini, Gallaudet University AuDstudent and a Staff Sergeant in the AirNational Guard, was welcomed home byfamily and friends at Baltimore/WashingtonInternational Airport on November 18th aftera three-month stint in Iraq. Mancini wascalled for service during her third year inGallaudet’s AuD Program.

While in Bagdad, Mancini’s job was to build,deliver, and load the munitions for A-10 jets.Working on the flight line, she supplied theneeds of 24-hour missions. While serving hercountry, Mancini kept up with coursework on-line and advocated for hearing protection,claiming she has photos of fellow soldierspointing to their ears to prove they werewearing their Hearing Protection Devices.While she was away, the Department ofHearing, Speech, and Language Sciences senther regular care packages. In fact, there wereso many that the base’s mailroom wasunofficially renamed “The Mancini Mailroom.”

At the airport to give Mancini a hero’swelcome were (from second left): fellowthird-year AuD students Stephanie West,Kristin Follett, Samantha Kleindienst, andJose Reyes III; audiology professor CynthiaCompton-Conley; and Mancini’s sister, PattyMancini (a helicopter pilot).

Hero’s Welcome for Gallaudet AuD Student

Barry Freeman will assume a new employment positionbeginning in February, 2008 as Director of Education andTraining for Starkey Labs, Inc. Freeman, who served as the 8thpresident of the Academy (1996), is currently the Chair of theAudiology Department, Nova Southeastern University, Ft.Lauderdale, FL., a position he has held for the past ten years.

James Peck, Associate Professor and Audiologist, has retired fromthe University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS, aftercompletion of 26 years of service. In addition to his privateaudiology practice, Peck served as Associate Director ofCommunicative Disorders at the University Hospital from 1986until 1999.

On November 16, 2007, more than 80 peoplegathered to celebrate the amazing (andlengthy) career of Brian E. Walden. Dr.Walden spent his entire career at the WalterReed Army Medical Center in Washington,DC, as Director of Research at the ArmyAudiology and Speech Center. Throughouthis career, he worked diligently to produce

the highest level of research, and this unparalleled work ethic wasrecognized by a multitude of organizations and associations.During his career Brian received numerous awards, including theU.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Distinguished AlumnusAward from both San Diego State University and PurdueUniversity, the Jerger Career Award for Research in Audiology andmany others.

During his outstanding career, Brian contributed a vast body ofscholarly work to the field and was extremely active in professionalissues. He was an integral part of more than 50 working groups,scientific advisory boards, committees and task forces. Waldenchaired a Presidential Task Force on Ethics for the Academy whichreinstituted the Academy’s Ethical Practices Committee, and hewas the Executive Secretary for the Joint MilitaryServices/Department of Veterans Administration AuD SteeringCommittee for more than 10 years, which paved the way for manyhundreds of federal clinicians to obtain their clinical doctoratewhile maintaining their positions in federal service.

SOUND WAVES

55

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1

ALABAMA ACADEMY OFAUDIOLOGY UPDATE

The Professional Audiology Societyof Alabama (PASA) has received cor-porate re-certification by the JeffersonCounty Court in Birmingham as: TheAlabama Academy of Audiology(ALAA). PASA was incorporated inDecember of 1998 with BettieChampion Borton as the first presidentwith Margaret Springfield, and RichardGresham making up the Board ofDirectors. Another benchmark of theAlabama Academy of Audiology’s(ALAA) progress occurred this monthwhen the Alabama Board of Examinersin Speech Pathology and Audiology(ABESPA) awarded $4,000 to ALAA insupport of continuing educationefforts as part of the ALAA annualconvention. At our state meeting in2007, the continuing education activi-ties were designated by theAmerican Academy of Audiology forthe American Board of Audiology(ABA) as Tier One level credit. ALAAhas the distinction of being the ONLYorganization in Alabama to offer TierOne CE credits, as well as the firststate academy convention in theUnited States to offer 100% of its CEhours as eligible Tier One credit. Forour 2008 meeting, ALAA is receiving

assistance from a professionalconvention planning corporation, in anarrangement facilitated by the AAA.ALAA ‘08, will be held at theSandestin Hilton Resort, September11-13.

ALAA is now initiating its firstentrance into politics. The ALAA haslobbied members of congress to sup-port national legislation, such as H.R.2329, also known as the tax credit bill.ALAA is also lobbying Alabama legisla-

tors for support of H.R.1665, theMedicare Hearing Health CareEnhancement Act of 2007, known asthe Direct Access bill. In addition, pre-liminary discussions have been held withboth the Georgia and FloridaAcademies of Audiology seeking waysto develop closer ties and cooperativelyadvance the profession in theSoutheastern United States. —Submitted by Thomas E. Borton,President, ALAA

Academy Announces New Senior Staff The American Academy of Audiology is pleased to announce the selection ofAmy Miedema as Director of Communications, as well as audiologist and formerBoard of Directors member, Debra Abel, as the Director of Reimbursement.

Amy Miedema will manage the Academy’spublications, to include Audiology Today, the Journalof American Academy of Audiology, books, brochures,and multimedia, as well as the Web site and publicrelations campaigns (Turn It to the Left) andcommunication efforts. She comes to the associationwith more than nine years of experience in publishing,marketing communications, and project management.She is a strategic thinker and planner with strongleadership skills and business acumen; skills andexpertise that will continue to help grow the successof the Academy.

Debra Abel will manage the overall strategic andprogrammatic functions related to reimbursement,coding, and quality measures, including the developmentof products and services in this area. In addition, she willdevelop and implement specific initiatives aligned withthe Academy’s strategic advocacy plan. As part of herduties, Abel will also maintain relationships with keypersonnel of the Centers for Medicare and MedicaidServices (CMS), and other federal agencies, industry, andallied organizations. Abel was an At-Large member ofthe Academy’s Board of Directors for more than twoyears and a member of the Academy since 1988. She hasserved as the chair of the Coding and Practice Committee (now Coding andReimbursement Committee) from 2003-2005 and had served as the board liaison tothe committee from 2005. Abel has authored and co-authored many articles andpublications on the subject to include “Reimbursement/Practice Management Issuesand Ethics” (2007), Coding, Billing, and Reimbursement Capture (2007), and“Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Billing,” (2007).As a new addition to the Academy staff, Abel resigned from her position as an At-

Large member of the Academy Board of Directors. The Board of Directors hasappointed Erin L. Miller to complete Abel’s term on the board. Erin Miller iscurrently the coordinator of hearing aid dispensary and clinical preceptor, at theUniversity of Akron, OH. Her special areas of interest include adult and geriatricamplification, auditory processing disorders, state licensure and advocacy issues,and mentoring.

Amy Miedema

Debra Abel

GEORGIA ACADEMY OFAUDIOLOGY ANNUALCONFERENCEThe Georgia Academy of Audiologywill hold its 6th annual conferenceJanuary 31-February 2, 2008 at theMarietta Conference Center andResort. The program will include twopre-conference workshops featuringKathryn Sledjeski speaking onUnderstanding Genetics and GusMuller presenting hearing aid selectionand fitting. Other speakers at the con-ference will include Mike Poe, MichaelPhillips, Michael Nilsson, RichardRoberts, Therese Walden, DankoCerenko, James “Jay” Hall, GylKasewurm, Paul Pessis, Bob Kemp,Clem Doxey, Carmen Brewer, TomThunder and Alan Freint. For moreinformation or to register, please visit:www.georgiaaudiology.org.


56

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008

2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y • A M E R I C A N A C A D E M Y O F A U D I O L O G Y2 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y • A M E R I C A N A C A D E M Y O F A U D I O L O G Y

PROJECT DEAF INDIA SEEKSVOLUNTEER AUDIOLOGISTS

Project Deaf India is seeking audiologists who are willingto pay their own expenses to help with an importanthumanitarian project in the state of Goa, India. Becauseof home deliveries, private nursing homes, and publichospitals as birthing places, and the custom of keepingthe mother and child for 5-7 days post delivery, an audi-ologist is provided with a scooter (motor bike) wherehe/she carries a small laptop OAE screening instrumenton the bike and visits different hospitals and even homedeliveries when necessary. If the infant fails the screen-ing test, the baby is referred to a main center/medicalschool for additional diagnostic testing and intervention.Such a scheme is economical for India so that everybirthing place does not need to invest in the purchase ofa hearing screening machine. It is the goal of the proj-ect that Goa will be the first state of India where allnewborns will be tested for deafness. It is estimatedthat the cost burden to the volunteer audiologists forfood, travel and lodging will be approximately $6000 fora 2 week stay. Additional information is available by con-tacting Dr. Raj Desai, Chairman, Project Deaf India atwww.projectdeafindia.org.

1st EHDI in Africa Conference– A Milestone Event

The 1st Early Hearing Detection inInfants (EHDI) conference everconvened on the continent of Africawas held in Johannesburg, South Africaon the 13th and 14th of August 2007.The theme was “Building Bridges inAfrica: Early Childhood Developmentfor Children with Hearing Loss” andwas hosted by The Wits Centre forDeaf Studies. It was the first time thatkey stakeholders within the field ofearly childhood and deafness, includingnational departments of health,education and social development,came together on the African continent. The conference attendanceexceeded 300 delegates from more than 12 countries including -Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria,Senegal, Swaziland, Spain, South Africa, the UK and the USA.

The significance of this milestonemeeting was evident in the conferenceopening by the South African NationalMinister of Health who indicated theimportance of uniting across Africa toprovide early identification andintervention for all children with hearingloss. Keynote speakers includedChristine Yoshinaga-Itano, BolajokoOlusanya, James Hall, David Martin,Marilyn Sass-Lehrer and Beth Benedict.The conference also provided a uniqueplatform for the dissemination ofresearch in childhood hearing loss anddeafness being conducted on the continent of Africa.

The meeting also fostered the establishment of a working groupfor EHDI in South Africa, envisioned to encompass Sub-Saharan Africaover time. Conference proceedings will also be published as asupplement issue in the International Journal of Audiology for 2008.The EHDI in Africa initiative has taken a first step towards unitingparents of children with hearing loss, professionals, governmental andnon-governmental organizations to explore and develop EHDIprograms across Africa. The EHDI in Africa conference will be hostedbiannually with the next meeting scheduled for 2009. —(Submittedby De Wet Swanepoel and Claudine Storbeck)

GRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR:AUDITORY SYSTEMCALL FOR PAPERS:

Auditory Neuroscience

June 28-29, 2008, Colby-Sawyer College,New London, NH

The upcoming Graduate Research Seminar (GRS) inauditory neuroscience, held the weekend prior to theAuditory System Gordon Research Conference (GRC),seeks to bring together promising graduate students andpostdoctoral fellows to present and discuss originalresearch in a constructive and informal environment.Bringing together trainees to participate in both theseminar and conference will provide an idealatmosphere for intense scientific interaction andrigorous discussion. The auditory neuroscience GRSwill also provide a unique opportunity for youngscientists to share in the GRC experience by fosteringinteractions with senior investigators. To be consideredfor an oral presentation, abstracts must be submitted byMarch 28, 2008. Please send abstracts directly to theGRS co-chairs in addition to including them with theapplication. Applications to attend the meeting must besubmitted by June 7, 2008. For addition informationplease e-mail GRS Auditory Neuroscience Co-ChairsAmanda Clause or Jason Sanchez or visit the GRS website at http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2008&program=grad_audit.

Christie Yoshinaga-Itanospeaks to attendees.

Jay Hall addressesdelegates.

Delegates gather at the Wits Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

58

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

JA

NU

ARY

/FE

BR

UA

RY 2

008


CLASSIFIED ADSColoradoFACULTY OPENINGS—TENURE-TRACK SLP OR AUDIOLOGY PROF

(OPEN RANK): Metropolitan State College of Denver—anundergraduate-only institution of more than 21,000 students—is seeking a full-time tenure-track faculty member to teach fourcourses per semester including but not limited to Speech andHearing Science, Anatomy and Physiology of the SpeechMechanism, and Language Acquisition. Faculty are expected tocommit to professional development; advising and mentoringstudents from a large, diverse, urban population; andappropriate professional service. Applicants must have adoctoral degree in Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology.Preference will be given to applicants with: 1) college teachingexperience, especially via an online delivery system; 2) at leasttwo years clinical experience; 3) CCC-A or CCC-SLP; 4) abilityto apply speech and hearing science technology to curriculum;5) laboratory expertise in anatomy and physiology ofcommunicative structures; 6) documentation of effectiveteaching, especially of non-traditional and/or diverse, urbanstudents; and 7) evidence of interdisciplinary research and/orclinical projects. Rank & salary are commensurate witheducation and experience. Appointment begins Fall 2008.Applications must be submitted online athttps://www.mscdjobs.com, position #F449, for full positionannouncement and application instructions. Deadline forapplications: January 15, 2008. Search chair: Dr. Jean Lundy,303-556-6965, [email protected]. Metropolitan State Collegeof Denver is an equal opportunity employer and encourageswomen and minorities to apply.

MassachussettsTENURE-TRACK POSITION; ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN AUDIOLOGY OR

SPEECH-HEARING SCIENCE: Worcester State College Departmentof Communication Sciences and Disorders has an opening for atenure-track position in Audiology or Speech-Hearing Science.PhD, CCC (A or SLP). The position entails teaching basicundergraduate courses, teaching graduate courses in area ofexpertise, advising, clinical supervision, and involvement indepartment and college committees. Research in the applicant’sarea of interest is expected. The position is available September2008. Please send a letter of application, CV, original transcriptsof highest degree and 3 current, original letters of reference toHuman Resources Department, Worcester State College, 486Chandler St., Worcester, MA 01602.

PennsylvaniaAUDIOLOGIST - LANCASTER, PA: A busy 5 physician, 2 office ENTpractice is seeking an additional full-time, or 2 part-timeCertified Audiologist(s). Must have or be eligible for a PAlicense. Must have minimum 1-3 years experience in hearing aiddispensing, ABR / ENG and audiological evaluation of pediatricand adult populations. AuD preferred. Salary, commission andprofit sharing plan.

Email, fax or mail resume and references to: John Ressler,Practice Administrator; [email protected], fax: 717-394-5590; Otolaryngology Physicians of Lancaster; 810 Plaza Blvd.,Lancaster, PA 17601

For information about our employment Web site, HearCareers, visitwww.audiology.org/hearcareers or contact Vanessa Scherstrom [email protected] or 1-800-AAA-2336 ext. 1044. For infor-mation or to place a classified ad in Audiology Today, contact ChristyHanson at [email protected] or 1-800-AAA-2336 ext. 1062.

59

AU

DIO

LOG

Y TO

DA

Y

VO

LUM

E 2

0, N

UM

BE

R 1


CLASSIFIED ADS

ectorsCandidate Slate - The American Academy of Audiology ... · Athens, GA Steven J. Staller...

Documents

Transcript of ectorsCandidate Slate - The American Academy of Audiology ... · Athens, GA Steven J. Staller...